Breakaways
by 190nicolette190
Summary: This series is now complete. Can you believe I wrote 71 chapters? Geez! I never thought I could write that much! I'm going to start a new story, and it's going to be TxG again. Make sure you read it! It's going to be good!
1. Prologue

The school seemed suddenly empty.

Dirt dusted the hallway floors, waiting to be swept up. Dusty were drawn over them vastly. Lights were lined the walls, waiting for their masters to open them. Doors were closed, waiting to be opened. Windows were shut. Blinds

And suddenly, activity rose.

A single man, dressed in a blue overall suit with black shoes and a black cap, stood sunkenly in the middle of the hallway. He eyed the dirty hallway, inspecting every single tiny crevice. He then sprang into action. He turned the lights on automatically. He began sweeping the delicate hallways away, sweeping away the dirt and dust. He unlocked and opened all of the doors and drew the blinds open. Last, but not least, he opened the windows, letting the warm, fresh summer air take hold of the cold winter air.

More activity rose.

Other people, dressed professionally, entered their rooms and began to sweep away the dust of the night. Then came the kids.

Not just any kids. Freshmans, Sophmores, Juniors, and Seniors.

The highschoolers.

They were naive and young. All of them. Didn't know that value of a dollar or how to care for a young child. They didn't care.

These highschoolers didn't know how hard it took to support a family, they didn't know how hard life is when there are $3,000 worth of bills flying in the door. They didn't know life from death.

All they cared about was sex.

All boys are out for one thing, and that is to get a girl in their bed. They want to wake up and see a sexy, naked girl lying beside them. And most of them are commited to their sports. After all, sports make them lean and fit. They get their perfect bodies from the work of a sport.

All girls want is their friends. They sit in class all day and text their friends the social keywords of 'lol' and 'lmfao' or 'wtf' or even 'omg'. Those are the most common. There are tons more. These girls are also more self-conscience than the guys. They have to be lean and fit 24/7 to be liked. Their looks also matter, so they splatter make-up on their faces to make them look prettier.

Some girls and guys aren't like that, though.

Some guys are sweet at heart. They still play sports, but have a soft spot for their signifigant other. They treat their lady like she's a queen.

Some girls' dreams are just to get married and have kids. That's all they want.

Babies.

Babies.

Babies...

At West Falcon High, there are five groups.

Jocks and Cheerleaders.

Sexy and hot.

Nerds and geeks.

Fat and ugly.

And the Breakaways.

The Breakaways weren't your average group of boys.

They were all girls.

They dispersed into different types, but most of them were the groups that wanted kids at young ages.

Young ages meaning fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen.

There were atleast six of these groups known containing nothing under five people.

There was one group in particular that wanted kids more than anything.

And this is where the story begins.


	2. Dirty Little Promise

October 19th, 2007: 1:00 PM

"Are you ready for this?"

"We're ready." A girl said.

"Okay, us five have to swear to keep this secret and away from everyone else."

"Got it." Another girl whispered.

"All five of us have boyfriends, right?"

The four other girls nodded.

"Here's the deal. We are all freshmans, right? Who says a freshman can't have a little fun sometimes? We all are baby freaks anyway. So, the thing is, you guys have to swear to get pregnant. All of our kids can grow up together."

The girls began to giggle.

"So, is that a promise?"

"Sure is!"

"Good, then let's all get started."

...

They weren't your average group of girls. There were five of them. First there was Haylie, sixteen, who had blonde, straight hair and brown eyes, and was tall. And next came Caitlin, fifteen, who had blonde hair and blue eyes. She was extremely pretty for her age. Brieanne, sixteen, was a brunette and had gleaming blue eyes. Then Elise, sixteen, who had strawberry-blonde hair with brown eyes. Last but not least came the cutesiest of the group.

Gabriella.

She had brown eyes and short, brown hair, and, well, you know what she really looks like. She had just turned fifteen and was just as much into the Breakaway pact as the rest of the kids.

And these girls were all for babies. They felt a sense of purpose, thinking that their boyfriends would love them forever if they had a baby. They just wanted a family.

Forever.

And soon, they all would have their dreams fufilled.


	3. Picture Perfect Life

October 20th, 2007: 2:00 PM

The bell rang out loud.

Kids fled through the halls, grabbing their things and leaving for home. The Balcons (Baby Falcons), or what we will call them, headed home quickly to keep their promise to the group. All of them except for Gabriella.

She fled to the football stadium where Troy played, not forgetting her promise to the Balcons. She climbed down the stadium stairs until she finally reached the field.

Gabriella spotted Troy as he walked out from practice. He said goodbye to his friends.

Gabriella ran up behind him.

"Hey!" Gabriella jumped on his back and kissed his cheek. Troy was laughing.

"Hey baby , what are you up to?"

"I was waiting for you to take me home!"

Troy sighed. "My friends want me to go drinking tonight, but I'm gonna blow them off so I can be with you tonight." He placed his hands under her thighs and stroked her right thigh with his thumb.

"Why thank you, Troy Bolton." She took one hand off of his shoulders and razzled his hair. Then, she wrapped her arms around his neck, not bothering to choke him.

"Bolton, are you coming or not?" Owen yelled to him.

"Not tonight Owen! Got my girl to take care of!" He jumped up a little, hoisting Gabriella up.

"I guess I'll see you Friday then! Brieanne and I have ourselves a date with a couple condoms tommorow night!" He grinned.

"Good luck with that!" Troy laughed.

Troy ran to the truck with Gabriella on his back. The entire way, she was laughing because he was tickling her under her thighs. When he finally set her in the passenger seat of the truck, she started to calm down.

He climbed into the driver's seat and started the truck. "I was going to buy you and I a nice dinner for my birthday coming up, but I've got a couple more plans for that day." He turned and smiled at her.

Gabriella hoped that he was talking about the "S" word.

"You said you just wanted to go straight home?" Troy started his truck

"Are you coming with?"

"Gotta get home and make my dad shut up about quitting my job."

"Oh okay."

...

As the truck approached Gabriella's yellow house, Gabriella kissed his lips softly and grabbed her bag. "Can I come over later?"

"Sure baby. Make sure it's after four."

"Okay then, I'll see you later Troy." She got out of her car and shut the door behind her. She waved to him as he drove into his driveway five houses down. She skipped happily up to the house.

Her mother greeted her at the door. "Hi sweetheart!" She said as she hugged her daughter.

"Hi mom!" Gabriella set her bag on the floor beside the door. She immediatly entered the kitchen, where she sat on the stool and began to eat her lunch that had been waiting for her.

Gabriella's house was amazing. As soon as you walked into the door, you were greeted by two staircases. The right set of stairs was leading upstairs, and the left set was leading down to the lower part of the house, which they basically called the basement, although it wasn't. That part was Gabriella's entire domain. She had an entire five rooms to herself. She had her bedroom, the dog's room, a den, an empty room, and a huge bathroom. Her domain was a door which lead into the four rooms. As you walked into that door, you entered her den. On the right, a door let to her dog's bedroom. On the left, you would enter the bathroom. And straight ahead was her huge bedroom. A door in her bedroom lead to the bathroom on the left, and straight ahead lead to the empty bedroom. It was sort of small, but perfect for storage.

Upstairs was basic. It had four bedrooms, one was the master, two were guest bedrooms on the left side of the hallway, and there was one room which was her mom and dad's little den. There were two bathrooms, one was the master and the other was the guest.

If you walked directly in the front door, you would have to turn right to get to the kitchen. It was basically a hexagon, just like the living room on the left of the front door. Behind the kitchen, past the stairs was an extra bedroom, used for storage. And that was their entire house.

Her dad was sitting at the table. "So, are you planning on running for council this year?"

"Nah. I decided not to. Troy told me it was a bad idea." She took a bite of her sandwich and smiled.

"What's this about Troy? Why do you always talk about him?" Her dad barked.

"Because he's my boyfriend." Gabriella raised an eyebrow and grinned. "I know you don't like him, but I really do. He's a good man."

Gabriella's mother placed the sandwiches on the counter. "Vincente`, do not worry about Gabriella's whereabouts. She is a good girl, not a little tramp like these other girls out here. Troy is also a good man who is very respectful and dedicated to his loved ones."

"I am her father. I_ will_ worry about her whereabouts, Maria." Vincente` growled and continued to read the paper and eat his lunch.

"Sweetheart, can you take the dogs out when you are done? They have not been out all day."

"Sure mom." She finished her sandwich and grabbed three leashes. She went to her room, and opened a large door that had three names on it. At the top was Henry, then Leaf, and lastly, Griphyn.

The first dog had some selective hearing. The dog wasn't deaf, but just didn't listen to people sometimes. She was a two year old black and white Papillon. Her mom had spent about seven thousand dollars on this dog. She was her mom's dog. Her name was Leaf.

The next dog was lying on the bed in the corner. He was the oldest out of the pack. She knelt down to pet him and he lifted his head to her. He had a brown patch on his right ear, and the rest of his body was very lightly speckled in certain spots. On his rear by his tail, there was another brown patch. The rest that was not colored was white. He was a purebred English Bulldog. He was around five years old, but had an attitude that dominated the pack. They had also spent a lot of money on him also. It was her dad's dog, and his name was Henry. Henry sort of went with the large rock on her dad's finger, making him look much tougher. Gabriella scratched behind his ears and kissed his nose. He didn't really move. He was a LAZY dog, but that was weird because he wasn't fixed.

And the next was the big boy. He wasn't just any little dog like the rest of the dogs. He was the king of the pack. A giant. But boy, was he wild for his breed. He had to be caged because he was so wild.

He was the massive and almighty Bernese Mountain Dog. A year old and all Gabriella's. His name was Colt.

As he saw Gabriella, he began barking like crazy. He wagged his tail and pawed at the wiring of the giant cage. She let him out, where he immediatly jumped all over her, knocking her to the ground. He barked raucously and licked her face, slobbing all over her. She laughed and giggled as he got off of her. She clipped the leashes on all three dogs, then carried the 55 pound Henry up the stairs because he was so lazy. She set him down and then walked out the door.

...

Later on, around five, she walked into the house with each of the dogs, unclipped their leashes, and hung the leashes up.

"I'm going to Troy's. I'll be back later on."

"Okay Gabriella. I will see you later!" Her mother smiled and kissed Gabriella's cheek.

Once she left, Vincente` called Maria to the living room.

"Why the hell did you let her go? I don't trust her with that kid!"

"Be quiet Vin. She is in love, let her be with him. She will not do anything bad. I know my daughter well enough to know that."

"You just can't trust that kid! He only has one thing on his mind, and he'll do anything to get it, Maria!"

"She will not let it happen! End of conversation, Vincente`!"

Vincente` growled at Maria.

But Maria was wrong.


	4. Their First Time

October 20th, 2009: 6:19 PM

Gabriella arrived at his house later that day.

He let in her gladly, telling her that the house was completely empty. She whispered in his ear what was on her mind.

It made him feel like it was too good to be true.

...

Both eyes were completely opened and focued on eachother.

Minds were shot.

A blue blanket covered them.

It was Troy's.

And both bodies were completely bare under it.

And they stared at eachother, with smiles on their faces.

"God Brie, you are absolutely amazing."

"You're not to bad yourself, Bolton."

Troy chuckled. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "We did it baby. Finally. I finally have you forever." He pulled her close to him, and shivered slightly as he felt her breasts brush against his chest. "And we did it all natural."

She giggled and kissed his lips gently. "I never thought you would be so gentle. Being a football player and all, I thought you would be rough and hard. But you made me fell so good."

"Anything for my girl." He stroked her back a little. "Let's get dressed, okay?"

"Let's do that."

Gabriella shut the curtains that had a perfect view of the harbor.

Without looking at eachother, both got completely dressed from head to toe. And immediatly after, Troy could hear knocking on the door.

"God damn it, asshole people... " He sighed. "Ruin precious moments... "

He ignored the door.

Gabriella smacked Troy's chest and removed herself from his room, walking to the front door. "You are so rude!" And she flung the door open.

"Oh, hi Gabriella." Troy's mother smiled. "I forgot the key to the door, and I didn't think you would be here... "

"I'm so sorry. I should have asked you if I could come."

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart. You are _always_ welcome here."

Gabriella smiled a little. "Do you need help with the bags?" She reached down and grabbed a couple bags for her. "I'll help you."

"You don't have to do that Gabriella."

"It's perfectly fine." Gabriella lifted up the rest of the bags.

"Thank you so much. You are such a good girl."

"No problem Mrs. Bolton."

Troy came into the kitchen as Gabriella set the bags on the floor. "Hey mom. I didn't think you'd be home until later on."

"Your dad gave me a budget."

"Oh."

Gabriella smiled a little. "Well, I've gotta get home Troy. I'll see you tommorow at school."

Troy pulled her close and gave her a big hug. He then pecked her lips. "You want me to pick you up?"

"Sure."

"Be ready at 7:00."

"I will."

Troy let go of her. She began to walk towards the door. "Bye Gabriella."

"Bye Troy! Bye Mrs. Bolton!"

"Bye Gabriella!" She grinned.

...

The night became harsh for Gabriella.

She sat awake until about one in the morning. At that time, she got up, went into the dog's room, and brought Colt out of his cage. She patted the bed, where he happily jumped onto with her. He rested his head on the pillow beside her, thumping his tail on the bed. She wrapped an arm around him.

But she still could not go to sleep.

So, she grabbed her phone from the nightstand beside her and flipped it open.

She began to text him.

"Are you asleep?"

She sighed and set her phone on her stomach, waiting for a response.

Gabriella's phone began to buzz quietly and vibrate.

"I was."

She frowned a little.

"Sorry for waking you. I can't get to sleep. I've been up all night."

A response came quickly.

"What do you want me to do?"

"I don't know."

It was ten minutes later that the next response came.

"Give me five minutes."

"Okay."

...

And five minutes had passed very slowly. But, she spotted somebody outside of the basement window.

"Troy?" She got off of her bed and opened the window. Colt barked raucously, jumping around happily.

He slid through the window and landed on the floor in front of her. "I heard that you had some problems sleeping."

"I do. I can't get to sleep."

"Well, I'm here to fix that problem." He smiled and stroked Colt's head to calm him down. Colt happily licked Troy's hand.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to sleep here all night with you, baby." He grabbed her cheeks gently and kissed her lips softly, repeatedly. Once he was done, he motioned over to her bed.

"Let's go to sleep, okay Brie?"

She nodded happily and went to go put Colt in the room. Once she came back, Troy was lying on the right side of the bed.

"Are you coming?" He chuckled.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" She hurried to the edge of the bed. Gabriella began to talk in a babyish voice. "Will you read me a bedtime story?" Her eyes became like puppy-dog eyes, and she stuck her bottom lip out.

"Oh my god Gabriella." Troy sat up.

"Pwease?"

"Fine." Troy grabbed a book from the shelf beside her.

"Okay, read."

She sat at the end of the bed, not bothering to look at him. She had a huge smile on her face.

"Once upon a time, there was a magical kingdom located in the middle of the desert. There was an evil american father, and a sweet little old philipino mother. They had a daughter, who's name was Princess Gabi."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Why are you making this story up?"

"I'm not done!" He shushed her. "Across the desert lived two american parents with their sexy son named Prince Troy. One day, Prince Troy saw Princess Gabi, and he fell in love with her, although she was two years younger than him. He loved her so much that he asked her to marry him. She gladly accepted."

"Finish... " Gabriella giggled.

"Well one night, Princess Gabi couldn't sleep, so Prince Troy had to come and rescue her from her ungodly sleeping angels. He climbed through her bedroom window, read her a story... " He moved towards her a little and began unbuttoning her shirt. He grinned and whispered her ear. "Prince Troy started to take her clothes off... "

She turned to him with a grin on her face. He completely unbuttoned the rest of her shirt. Without asking her, he reached towards her crotch and unbuttoned her jeans, then unzipped them. He slid them off of her and threw them in the corner of the room.

Gabriella didn't hold back. As he grabbed her body and began to lay her on the pillow, she didn't resist. She lifted her arms so that he could pull her shirt off completely.

Things got rough from there.


	5. Jealous

November 25th, 2007: 6:08 AM

It became over a month later.

It hadn't surprised Gabriella that 4/5 of the Balcon's girls had already become pregnant. The first to get pregnant, unsurprisingly, was Brieanne. She hadn't even tried to protect herself. She just let loose of her body for Owen to take over. She was about a month along.

Caitlin was next. She wasn't into the entire baby thing, and used protection. But, her protection failed. She was three and a half weeks along.

Next was Haylie. She was the same as Brieanne, but was two weeks.

And then Elise was like Haylie and Brieanne, and also two weeks along.

Which left Gabriella in the dark.

Gabriella tried, but could not get pregnant as quickly as the other girls.

"It feels so weird to all be pregnant but you, Gabriella." Haylie glared at Gabriella. The rest of the girls did also. "You seemed like you didn't even try."

"I told you for the millionth time, I tried! I had sex like every day twice a day without birth control or a condom! It didn't work!" Gabriella said, innocently.

Brieanne looked towards the end of the hallway, watching the other kids walk back and forth. "Maybe you're infertile."

"Infertile?" Gabriella sighed. "I don't think that's right."

"Maybe Troy is infertile." Brieanne said again.

"I highly doubt that." Haylie giggled.

"Maybe you should take a break from trying." Elise ran her fingers through her hair and shrugged.

Caitlin finally arrived at school. She threw her bag in her locker and grabbed her books. "I have to get to class."

"Just like the rest of us." Gabriella got up and grabbed her things. "I'll see you guys later."

The rest of the girls stayed there.

"What the hell are you doing?" Haylie stood up. "Are you becoming a good girl? Outcasting?" Her face was sour and mean.

"No no no, I just don't want to be late for class." Gabriella became suddenly innocent again.

"Then stay!" Brieanne stood also and stared Gabriella in the eyes. She then looked over at Caitlin. "Stay!"

"I can't! I have to go!" Caitlin sighed and looked around the empty hallway.

"Fine then, leave our fucking group." Elise rolled her eyes.

"I'm not leaving the group. Stop being so idiotic!" Gabriella folded her arms.

Caitlin tugged at Gabriella's arm. "Just come on! We have to get to class!" Caitlin finally pulled Gabriella away from the group.

They turned the corner of the hallway, then took the back stairs to lose the other girls. As they finally relaxed and began walking towards their class, Caitlin began to speak up.

"So what happened? Have you tested positive yet?" Caitlin smiled and placed her arm around Gabriella's shoulders.

"Not yet." Gabriella looked down in a sad position.

"Being pregnant isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be. Sometimes, I get bad stomachaches, but they go away quickly. Even though I didn't want to be pregnant, I'm glad I am now." She looked down at the floor.

"I really want to be pregnant... But I've tried and tried, and nothing's happened." Gabriella spotted her homeroom and began to walk towards it. "Well, I'll see you later on."

"Alright, I guess I'll see you too." Caitlin reached to hug Gabriella. Gabriella didn't know if she was imagining or not, because she swore she felt a tiny bump under Caitlin's shirt. She quickly became jealous of her best friend.

"Bye Cait."

"Bye Gabi."


	6. Troy's Life Changing Accident

January 25th, 2008: 2:38 PM

Two months passed quickly.

Caitlin's parents let her spend the night at Gabriella's for the night. Caitlin's boyfriend, Harvey, also tagged along, but wasn't staying the night.

"Maria, I don't want that boy down there with those girls. God only knows what girls he's already gotten pregnant." Vincente` said out loud.

Gabriella and Caitlin exchanged looks.

"Vin, leave them to their own business. Mr. Landon is a nice boy, are you not?"

"Oh, trust me Mrs. Montez, I'm a good boy." He chuckled.

"See Vincente`, he is a good man." Gabriella loved the way her mom said different words. She had an Indian accent, although she was not born in India.

Gabriella giggled. "Come down here with me, my dad is just an ass sometimes." She opened the basement door for Caitlin and Harvey.

"Watch your mouth _ass_!"

She shut the door after he said that.

"I've gotta let our dogs out of their room."

Gabriella opened their door to their room, letting both Leaf and Henry out to investigate. She also unlocked Colt from his cage, and surprisingly, he was extremely calm.

Harvey said his goodbyes to both of the girls because he had a football game to practice for. He kissed Caitlin, and then left.

And the girls both had plans for the game...

Because Caitlin was already pregnant, Gabriella had to find something looser-fitting than regularly for the game. Since their school colors were red, neon green, and gray, they both tied their hair in ponytails with gray hairbands, and curled it tightly. Gabriella had been a cheerleader for the team last year, and kept her outfit. Since cheerleading was about to start, she figured that she might as well fit herself into it. It was a short skirt, about 1/3 of the way down her thighs. It was red with neon-green and gray-laced ruffles at the bottom. At the The top was skin-tight. It was red with neon-green and gray lacing around the bottom. Caitlin wore a looser top that looked exactly like the top part of the cheerleading outfit. She wore her cheerleading skirt also.

And they were ready.

...

Both of them lied and said that they were related to Troy Bolton and Harvey Landon so they could get front-row seats.

The game began not too long after.

Every single member of the team ran out, holding their helmets. The crowd screamed for every team member. As Troy came out, he stopped in front of the bleachers. He kissed his gold necklace and handed it to Gabriella. It had a golden cross on it.

"May the gold light shine down on you." Troy smiled and kissed her hand.

"Why are you giving me this? Do you want me to hold it for you?" Gabriella giggled.

"I want you to keep it."

She smiled and pecked his lips through the bars. "I love you."

"Wish me luck!" Troy ran off into the field.

Harvey approached the bench. He looked up at the sky. "It's going to rain soon. If it does, we're in big trouble."

"The coach will probably pull you guys off of the field if it rains." Gabriella said. "Hopefully."

"Let's hope!" Harvey grinned. "I'll see you guys at the end of the game."

...

And to their bad luck, it rained.

The field became sopping wet. The Falcon's coach urged his boys on, confident because they were taking a lead on the other team.

Harvey waited behind the opposite team's defensive line. He was the running back. Troy, being captain, was quarterback. He stood behind the snapper and waited patiently for the right moment to spring into action. He yelled the final word.

"One... Two... Three... HIKE!"

The snapper didn't snap the ball correctly. He snapped it off to the side, and Troy almost fell over trying to catch it. He caught his balance quickly, and sprinted backwards to throw the ball. He finally sent the ball spiraling into the air towards Harvey. And Owen followed Harvey down the field the rest of the way. Barker, who was Brieanne's boyfriend, tackled a couple people with Jesse, who was Elise's boyfriend. Harvey sprinted so fast, and made it past all the other people. Thus, ending in a touchdown.

And the crowd was silent.

The reason?

A player got hurt.

Caitlin looked over at Gabriella with tears in her eyes. Gabriella was full-fledged bawling.

Gabriella ran. She ran quickly.

"TROY!" She screamed as loud as she could.

A smartass player had tackled Troy not too long after he had thrown the ball. He tackled Troy for no reason at all.

Gabriella ran into the field, along with Caitlin. As soon as he approached him, she began to cry even harder.

His face was wet with rain, and his face was covered with blood. He was limp, but awake and talking.

Harvey grabbed Gabriella by her waist and held her back. She began to kick and scream, trying to get to Troy. Caitlin grabbed one of Gabriella's hands, and hugged her with the other. Harvey whispered in her ear.

"It's okay Gabriella, he's okay... "

"He's not okay... " She cried back. "He's half dead lying in the middle of a football field... " She buried her head into Caitlin's shoulder. Caitlin let go of her hand and stroked Gabriella's hair, while Harvey rubbed her back.

"I need to see him... " Gabriella tried to break free again. "Please... "

The coach grabbed Gabriella's arm. "He's asking for you. He wants to talk to you."

Gabriella broke free from Harvey and Caitlin. It felt like the death walk to Gabriella as she walked towards Troy.

She could hear his voice.

"Is it broken?" He asked the paramedic.

"Just twisted up a little. But you do have a pretty severe concussion."

Gabriella approached Troy. He immediatly knew who it was.

"Hey baby... " He smiled a little. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine. Just got a concussion. It could've been worse."

The rain suddenly stopped from over them. A tarp had been put up to prevent the rain from soaking them anymore. A blanket had been set beside Troy so he could calm Gabriella down.

He grabbed her hand and turned his head towards her. "I told you, I'm not in danger of dying. It could have been so much worse than that. I'm going to go to the hospital, stay for a night or two, then go home and be fine."

Gabriella still cried. She couldn't help it. It scared the hell out of her seeing him being tackled.

It was too scary...


	7. Accomplishment

January 29th, 2008: 5:26 AM

Troy had been released from the hospital and Gabriella was planning on going to see him.

"I swear to god Maria, he's going to get her pregnant if she stays the night there! I don't want my daughter pregnant, and I don't trust that kid!"

Maria ignored Vincente` and handed Gabriella her bag of clothes. "I know your heart is hurting, sweetheart. You can stay at his house for as long as you wish. But please, make your father happy and do not fall into his tricks."

"Mom, Troy has never tried to get me in bed. Be reassured that I won't have sex with him."

Maria smiled. "I will take care of Leaf and Henry and Griphyn." She kissed her daughter. "I will see you when you come back. Please take time to call us here or come to visit."

"I will." She smiled and went on her way to Troy's house a couple houses down.

When she got there, she knocked on the door, and it was almost immediatly answered. It was his mom.

"Hi Gabriella, come in sweetheart." She opened the door wide. "Troy is in his bedroom. He'll be happy to see you."

She climbed the stairs and went all the way down the upstairs hallway. She turned a left corner, and there was his room. She knocked on the door.

"It's open." She heard him say.

And she entered the room to find her beloved Troy sitting on the bed with his laptop. He set it down immediatly and stood up.

"Brie... "

She dropped her bag and began to bawl.

"Troy... "

She ran into his arms, crying her heart out. He soothingly ran his fingers up and down her back, not saying anything to her. He just let her get all of her sorrow out.

When she finally calmed down a little, he lead her to his bed. He forced her to sit down, and when she did, he moved away from the bed to pick her bag up. He placed it on his recliner in the corner.

"How long are you going to stay here?"

"As long as you want me to."

"Well then, we might as well move out and go find a house, because honestly, I don't want you to leave."

She giggled slightly and wiped her tears away.

"I'm fifteen. There's no possible way that my mom and dad would let me move out." She grinned. "But that doesn't mean I wouldn't want to live with you."

"I know, I know." Troy smiled.

Gabriella knew that the time was right.

"Hey Troy? Can you come over here and sit with me?"

The look on his face told that he sensed something was wrong. "What's going on? Is there something wrong?"

She looked down at the floor. "Yes there is."

He unhesitantly sat beside her.

"There is something that I think you need to know."

He looked directly into her eyes. "Baby, you're scaring me. Is it something horrible?"

"No no no! It's something... great!"

"Then what is it?" He took her hand.

She didn't break her gaze from him. She stared at him directly in the eyes, watching his vivid eyes gave back into hers. She loved his eyes. She hoped that someday she would own those blue eyes.

"We have a connection together."

Troy laughed. "Well duh, you love me and I love you."

"Not that... Kind of connection... "

"Then what do you mean?"

Gabriella suddenly began to feel sick. She held her mouth, and avoiding the bathroom, she ran outside to the dock. She ran across the dock.

Troy followed closely behind, still asking her what was wrong.

She quickly leaned over the railing and vomited over the edge of the water.

When she was done, Troy approached her quivering body. Tears ran down her face. He grabbed her shoulders gently, turning her towards him, and looked into her eyes, becoming very concerned.

"Are you okay?"

She shook her head no.

"Please just tell me what's going on!"

Gabriella stared into his eyes, knowing that he finally knew.

"Oh god, please don't tell me... "

Gabriella nodded with tears rolling down her cheeks faster.

He spoke softly, still looking into her eyes. He searched for an answer. "Are you pregnant?"

Gabriella didn't speak.

"God damn it!" Troy harshly let go of her. He turned and threw himself against the railing of the dock. "Shit!"

Gabriella stood at the end of the dock, silently.

He shook his head and placed his hands over his eyes. "Oh my god, how the hell could I let this happen? How could I ruin our lives?"

Gabriella approached Troy. "You didn't ruin my life." She said quietly.

He took his head out from his hands. "How could you say that?" His eyes were blood red.

"I want this baby." She sobbed and grabbed his hand. "We have something that shows that we love eachother... Something that will connect our lives forever... "

"How do you expect to tell your parents? How am I supposed to tell my parents? How are we supposed to support this baby and take care of it?" Troy ran his fingers through his hair. "This can't be happening, Gabriella... We can't take care of a baby. Not now! I've got a concussion and- " He cut himself off.

Gabriella looked down at the dock and sobbed again. Tears dripped off of her face and hit the dock.

"Do you still love me, Troy?"

Troy didn't respond.

"Troy... I asked if you still love me... "

He still didn't respond. As Gabriella looked up at him, he was leaning over the edge of the rails, looking at the water with his fingers entwined. He looked like he was in deep thought.

"Do you love me or not?" Gabriella became vicious. "Because if you don't love me, I'll go get my stuff and leave right now!" She began to cry a little harder. "If you can't accept our mistake and act civil, I won't bother you ever again... "

He still didn't respond...

Gabriella began to run towards Troy's house, crying hysterically.

He went after her. "Gabriella!" He sprinted towards her, and before she could get off the dock, he grabbed her waist and spun her around. He kept his hands steady on her waist, staring into her chocolate eyes. He didn't break the gaze for one second. And she stared back, into his cobalt blue eyes, comparing them to the blue of the Atlantic Ocean. They kept eachother locked in a dead stare.

And suddenly, their lips connected in a full-on passionate liplock. Troy held the back of her head, Gabriella held the side of Troy's face.

As they came apart, they locked in a stare again.

"If we created a baby together, it's just as much of my fault as it is yours... " He sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear. "You know that there's nothing I wouldn't do for you. I love you too much to let you go... " His eyes were reddened from tears running down his face. "I just... I just don't know how we are going to live this way for the rest of our lives... We're going to struggle just to have this baby... It's going to be so tough... "

"But we have eachother. We'll make it through. I'll get a job if I have to- "

"No baby, you won't ever have to work an hour of your life." He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Your beautiful face can't be messed up by working."

She smiled a little through her teary face. "My face isn't going to get messed up by working."

"I don't want you to take a chance." He smiled at her. "I won't ever make you work."

They sat in silence for a couple minutes...

"How am I going to tell my mom and dad?" Troy sighed.

"You're mom and dad won't take it that badly... " Gabriella broke away from Troy and began to walk towards the end of the dock. She gazed out over the sea. "My dad might not let me leave my room for the rest of my life. He definitely won't let me see you... "

Troy followed her and leaned over the edge of the dock beside her. "There's no way your dad can keep me from seeing my own child."

Gabriella sighed. "I'll figure it out myself."

Troy grabbed her hand. "Why don't we go inside and relax a little? We need some time alone... The last time we were alone was... " Troy chuckled a little. "When you got pregnant, if that was two months ago?"

"I'm two months pregnant."

"Yep, two months ago."

Troy looked over at her.

"Let's go."

Gabriella smiled a little and began to walk with him, entwining her fingers with his. She knew that her mission was accomplished.

But things would take drastic turns.


	8. Being Judged

March 19th, 2008: 2:00 PM

"Why are you even in our group if you're ignoring us?" Haylie's stomach bulged, alone with Brieanne's and Elise's.

Gabriella's didn't bulge. She had a tiny bump hidden beneath her shirt.

"I made a promise to the group that I would get pregnant, and I did... " Gabriella lifted her shirt a little and turned to the side. "See?"

"I don't see anything but a little baby fat!" Brieanne folded her arms. "I swear to god Gabriella, I'm getting tired of trying to talk to you."

Gabriella looked at each of the girls. She made a decision that she thought she would never make.

"This is bullshit! I should have never made a promise to get pregnant! Now, I'm dealing with my parents ragging on me about having this baby and dealing with the fact that I'm another school slut! I'm tired of this fucking group! I won't ever bother you again if it's that way!"

Gabriella turned and walked away from the people she thought were her friends...

But in reality, they weren't.

...

Gabriella ran onto the field after Troy's practice. He smiled big and picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck and squeezed him tightly.

"Hey baby! You ready to go?"

"I sure am!"

Gabriella could hear snickering behind her. As she dropped away from Troy, she turned around, hearing the irrational comments some of the guys were making about her being pregnant. She became shy and tears came to her eyes.

Troy noticed and stepped up. "Hey assholes, why don't you go find some pussy to suck on! Doesn't look like you have any!"

"Looks like you already got some!" One of the members yelled and the team laughed.

"Atleast I have something that you'll never have!"

"And what's that Mr. Captain? A girlfriend that you'll abandon on the side of the road and a kid who will hate your guts?"

"Watch your mouth, Geno!"

"It's true! You'll probably leave them to go suck on other pussy yourself!"

Troy became outraged and began to move towards the team. Gabriella grabbed his arm. "It's not worth it! Please, let's just leave!"

"Awh, your little girlfriend holding big boy back?"

"I would kill your fucking guts right now if it wasn't for her." Troy growled and turned away with Gabriella.

"Pussy licker! Pussy Licker!" The team yelled as Troy exited the stadium.

"ATLEAST I DON'T SUCK DICKS LIKE YOU DO!" Troy yelled before exiting.

...

Since Gabriella's mom and dad were on vacation in the Bahama's for a week, Gabriella was staying with Troy until they came back. The dogs were all boarded. It had only been a week since they had left.

Troy's dad greeted them at the front door. "Gabriella, Kay called the midwife for you. She has an appointment for you at four. Is that alright?" He took Gabriella's school things from her and set them on the table beside the door.

"That's fine... " Gabriella looked up innocently at Troy. "Are you coming with me?"

Troy laughed. "I didn't know you wanted me to come."

"It's your baby too."

"If you want me to, I'll go."

Troy's dad asked Gabriella aside for a moment. She followed him into the den.

"Sit down... " He motioned towards the couch. She obeyed.

He sat across from her. "I didn't bring you in here to make you feel uncomfortable or anything, but I need to talk to you about this child."

Gabriella nodded.

"You and Troy aren't ready for this Gabriella. Troy is too much of a kid, and so are you. You two were in love and ended up creating something that you guys don't understand totally... "

"So what are you saying, Mr. Bolton?"

"I'm saying... " He sighed. "It's too late for an abortion... Have you two thought about adoption?"

Gabriella stood up. "HELL NO!"

Jack sighed. "You are just too young and too naive to know how to take care of a baby. You don't know how to breastfeed a baby, how to change a baby, how to give a baby a bath... I think it's just too early for you guys... "

"Why would you want me to give up this baby for adoption? I am perfectly capable of being a good mom! Just because I'm fifteen doesn't mean that I can't take care of a baby!"

"I just don't want you guys to have this baby and not be able to provide for it." Jack looked up at her.

"I would rather rot in hell than give a stranger my child." Gabriella turned and ran out of the den, sprinted upstairs, and bursted through Troy's bedroom door, crying. She ran into his arms, leaving him confused.

"Gabriella, what's wrong?" Troy winced because of the forming migrane. He got migranes from the concussion.

"You dad wants us to give our baby up for adoption... He doesn't think that we can provide for it... "

Troy sighed and held her. "I have told you tons of times that I'm not going to let a stranger take our baby. I'll have a talk with my dad later on, okay?"

She sobbed and buried her head into his chest.

Gabriella knew that Jack was right deep down.


	9. A Little Underweight

March 19th, 2008: 5:09 PM

Troy had a surprise football practice at the same time that Gabriella had to go to the doctor. He had to leave.

So Troy could see their baby, Gabriella requested that the midwife record the ultrasound.

As she entered the house, Troy greeted her there.

"Hey." He simply said. He looked kind of gloomy.

"Hey Troy... " Gabriella cocked her head and raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

"Ah, nothing really. Don't worry about it." He smiled and grabbed her waist. His mom grinned and shook her head.

"I'm so glad you guys are going to be together for this baby. It will be drastic if you aren't there, Troy, so you better be there for it."

"Don't worry, there's nothing that we keep us apart." Troy looked back at Gabriella. "How did it go?"

"Not good." Gabriella frowned and took his hand. "I'll explain to you about it upstairs." She began to lead him upstairs.

Troy opened his bedroom door for her. "Is there something wrong with the baby?"

She shook her head and plopped down on his bed. "Yes.

"What's the problem?" He shut his door.

"Well, although you're a football player and are very fit, and even though I'm just under the right weight for my age, the baby is too small. They said that the reason comes from me because I'm a tiny person."

"That's what's wrong with you?"

She nodded.

"Well baby, that's not so horrible! A lot of babies are born too small."

"You know me though, I just get scared easily... "

She grabbed the DVD from her purse and handed it to Troy. "Wanna watch the Ultrasound?"

"Most definitely."

She grinned.

She knew that he would.

"So, what's up with you?" She said as she put the DVD in.

"Oh, nothing. Just got a really bad migrane."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

She turned to him.

"Are you lying to me?"

He chuckled and rubbed the side of his head. "For god sakes Gabriella, I'm NOT lying to you, okay?"

She frowned.

"Okay, liar."

"I am not!"

"Yes you are!"

Troy rolled his eyes at her and pulled her onto the bed. "Let's just watch this, okay?"

She razzled his hair. "Okay master." She giggled.


	10. Epidemic

April 14th, 2008: 1:52 PM

Gabriella had just learned that Brieanne and had lost her baby due to lead poisoning.

And Elise and Haylie had their babies early. Too early.

Elise was the first one to have her baby. She was only five months along when she had her baby. Her baby barely survived, but was ordered by doctors to be taken and given to a better home because Elise could not provide for it, and she also caused one of the birth defects from smoking secretly. Her baby was a girl, barely three pounds, and had a lung, heart, and stomach defect caused by lead poisoning. She was handed over to her adoptive parents.

Haylie had her baby a day after Elise. She also had a girl, who was four pounds. She died the next day due to prematurity.

Gabriella and Caitlin suddenly became very scared for their babies.

But Caitlin was rushed to the hospital on the morning of April 14th.

Harvey was on vacation.

Gabriella waited outside the waiting room, crying.

And suddenly, Troy and Gabriella jolted and became relieved when they heard a tiny cry come from Caitlin's room. Caitlin's baby was too early, also. This made Gabriella the only girl in the group who was pregnant.

Caitlin's mom emerged from the room. "Caitlin had requested to see you both in private."

Holding hands, Troy and Gabriella both entered the room, a little worried about the expression on Caitlin's face.

She was crying, which was typical.

Gabriella let go of Troy's hand and grabbed Caitlin's, then used her other hand to stroke her hair.

Caitlin sobbed as tears ran down her cheeks. "It hurts... "

"I know... " Gabriella kissed her forehead.

"It hurts so much... " Caitlin buried her head in her pillow. She mumbled. "32 stitches... "

Gabriella looked up at Troy worridly.

"Every case is different." Troy frowned.

"In my case, it will most likely be even worse... " A tear ran down Gabriella's face.

Caitlin rolled on her side and looked up at Gabriella. Troy came around to the other side of the bed with Gabriella. He told Caitlin that they would be there for her and her baby.

Caitlin swallowed hard. "Would you guys be my daughter's godparents?"

Troy looked at Gabriella. Gabriella answered immediatly. "I would be honored to, sissy... "

Troy scratched his head. "If you are, I guess I'll be too."

But something terrible happened...

Gabriella noticed that Caitlin's baby's heart rate dropped from a steady beat to a skipping beat. It then totally stopped. She looked over at the baby lying on the table, then gasped.

"Oh my god, her face is turning blue... " Gabriella looked at Troy. "Go get help!"

Caitlin bursted into tears as Troy ran to the door. He opened it quickly and screamed for a doctor.

"MY BABY!" Caitlin screamed as the doctors ran in. She sat up in bed and tried to reach for her. "NO!"

The doctors gathered around her baby. Gabriella squeezed Caitlin tightly in her arms with tears rolling down her cheeks. Troy tried to get a glimpse of what the doctors were doing, and when he saw something, he rushed back over to Caitlin and Gabriella.

"They're doing CPR." He said frantically.

Caitlin's head was buried between Gabriella's breasts, and she was screaming and crying harder than Gabriella had ever seen her do before. She placed a hand on the back of Caitlin's head and looked at Troy with red eyes.

He gave her a saddened face. Gabriella knew that there was no hope. She began sobbing, along with Caitlin.

"My daughter... My life... " Caitlin cried helplessly. "She's the only thing... I have... "

Troy tried asking the doctors what was going on, but all that was said was lead poisoning. Troy connected the dots.

He ran to Gabriella and the crouched beside Caitlin's bed. He looked into her eyes as she lifted her head up. "Caitlin, what does the school water taste like?"

"Like shit... " Caitlin sobbed.

"I know it does, but does it taste like metal?"

"It always has... Why are you asking this when my daughter is dying on that table over there?" Tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Gabriella Anne Montez... " Troy stood up. "Don't drink the school's water. I bet it's contaminated with lead... "

"Why would you think that?" As Caitlin began to cry again, Gabriella rubbed her back once again.

"Because Brie, five people have died this year at school due to lead poisoning. Two other girls that were pregnant had babies that died due to lead poisoning. Caitlin's baby is dying because of lead poisoning... Don't drink that water!"

And the doctor confirmed their worst fears.

Water found in Caitlin's stomach was contaminated with lead.

Sadly, Caitlin's baby died.

And Gabriella feared for her own.


	11. The Truth Comes Out

April 29th, 2008: 12:45 PM

It was the day that Gabriella feared she would face.

Five months pregnant.

Her stomach didn't bulge like the other girls'. It stayed slim, with a little tiny bump sticking out. It looked only like baby fat.

She walked slowly down the hallway, looking at the floor with her books in her arms. Everybody had went to class, but Gabriella was roaming the halls hopelessly. She was thinking about how she lied to Troy about how the pregnancy was an accident, and how she lied to her parents and everyone else... She even lied to herself.

Finally, she saw them...

Haylie growled and stepped up to Gabriella. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I was going to class... " Gabriella didn't bother to use anger.

Brieanne gave her a face of anger. "You're the only girl left that has a baby... It shouldn't be like that."

Gabriella sighed. "I'm sorry about the lead in the water, okay? I'm sorry your innocent babies were killed because of it, but there's no reason to say that its my fault."

Elise rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "If it would have never been for the promise, I would have never gotten heartbroken over my baby."

Troy swung around the corner, but heard them talking and stopped to listen.

"I'm not here for trouble!" Gabriella tried walking away.

Elise grabbed her arm. "Not so fast... "

Gabriella looked at her innocently. "Our group was a promise to have babies so that we could raise them together, with or without a family, with or without a father... I commited to it and I got pregnant, then you guys accuse me of doing things behind your backs and you push me out of the group. I have this fucking child growing inside of me because of some idiotic promise that I made to this group. I wish I would have never made that promise." Gabriella slung her arm out of Elise's grip. "I'm done here."

Haylie and Brieanne grabbed one of her arms and dragged her towards the other side of the hallway. Gabriella kicked and screamed, but they duck-taped her mouth, hands, and feet together.

"YOU FUCKING BITCHES! LET ME GO!" Gabriella screamed through the tape.

"Not until your baby is dead like ours... " Haylie pulled a knife from her pocket. Brieanne and Elise also did the same. They all flicked the blades at the same time.

Gabriella began to cry. "No! Please, no! What did I ever do to you?"

Haylie squated down in front of her. "You don't deserve a life, you cunt." Haylie held the knife to Gabriella's neck. "I hope you rot in hell!"

Haylie dug the knife into Gabriella's neck, and when the knife caught her skin, she began to drag it across her neck.

Troy dropped his things and ran down the hallway towards Gabriella. The Balcon girls all stood up and stared at Troy. Haylie dropped her knife.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU SLUTS?" Troy ran towards Gabriella and pulled the tape off of her, then noticed the slit on her neck. He pulled Gabriella's shirt over her head, seeing that she had a cami on, then wrapped her neck gently with her shirt. He stood up.

"WHY WOULD YOU EVER, EVER WANT TO HURT A PREGNANT WOMAN?" Troy grabbed the knives with a piece of cloth and set them on the floor.

The three girls seemed like they were scared out of their minds.

Troy's eyes began to water. "Is it true that you all made a promise to get pregnant?"

They all were silent.

"ANSWER ME!" Tears fell from his face to the floor. He turned to Gabriella.

Gabriella was crying hard. She nodded and wrapped her arms protectively around her stomach. "Please don't hurt my baby... Don't hurt me... " She coughed a little. "Please... "

Troy was astonished. He shook his head. Once he regained strength, he ran towards the nearest room, yelled for help, and a teacher came running down the hallway with Troy. The Balcon girls were crying when they got back.

"These three girls threatened to kill my girlfriend and our unborn baby... And the tall blonde slit her throat... " Troy picked Gabriella up bridal style. She was beginning to cough up blood.

"You girls are in serious trouble!" The teacher scolded and pointed down the hallway. "GO!"

As Troy walked down the hallway with Gabriella, she begged to him. "Please don't leave me... Please don't... "

He didn't answer.

They entered the principal's office, where the teacher explained what happened. The girls admitted to the crime.

Gabriella was rushed to the hospital.

Nothing happened to her or her baby. She ended up being perfectly fine other than a couple stitches on her neck.

But she still was worried about the fate of her and Troy.


	12. Endless Road Of Grief

April 29th, 2009: 9:02 PM

Gabriella sat unlively in the hospital.

She rubbed the bottom of her stomach and cried. Cried because she had failed her family, she had failed her boyfriend, she had failed her life, and most importantly, she had failed her baby.

"You may not know it, but I love you so much, and even though your daddy might not be there for us anymore, we'll make it through... I won't let anything happen to you, ever... "

She kissed her left hand, and then rested it on her stomach. She looked up at the ceiling and cried harder.

"There's nothing I wouldn't do for you. I don't care if you come out mentally retarded, or if you have autism, or if you have a life-threatening birth defect, or if you come out completely blue, I still love you more than anything in this world... Boy or girl, big or small, I love you."

Gabriella's mother bursted into the room.

"GABRIELLA!" She screamed and ran towards her, embracing her daughter in her arms. "MY BABY!"

Gabriella cried into her mother's arms. "MOM!"

Gabriella's dad dropped Gabriella's suitcase on the floor, then ran to embrace Gabriella also. He wrapped his arms around his wife and Gabriella, kissing the top of Gabriella's head. "Oh my god, my baby girl... You're okay... " He ran his fingers through her hair. "Gabriella, you had your mother and I scared so badly... Oh god... " He breathed a sigh of relief. "We love you so much Gabriella, don't ever think that we don't... We only try to protect you... "

Gabriella sobbed. "My baby... Be careful... " She took her father's elbow off of her stomach. "I don't want anything to happen to my baby... "

Vincente` nodded and placed his hand on Gabriella's cheek. "I'm sorry. Just don't ever scare us like that again... "

Gabriella nodded slowly.

Maria stood up slowly and grabbed a chair, pulling it to her bedside. Vincente` did the same.

"Troy told us about how you planned on having this baby... " Vincente` sighed.

Gabriella's eyes got wide.

"Why would you ever want a baby, Gabriella? They are so, so complicated to take care of. You do not understand how hard it is until this baby is born!" Maria tried harder to explain, but Gabriella didn't seem to understand.

She silently looked at the sheets of the bed. She felt guilty inside.

"It's not easy, Gabriella. Having a baby isn't like bringing home a new puppy. There's so many things, like changing it, feeding it, putting it to bed, midnight wake-ups... " Vincente` grabbed Gabriella's hand and kissed it. "Why would you want one?"

She didn't respond.

She heard the door creak open slightly.

"Why did you and your friends promise to have a baby?" Troy walked into the door and leaned against the door frame.

He didn't seem happy.

"Why did you lie to everyone, your parents, my parents, your school, and especially me... The father of your baby... I love you Gabriella, I love you so god damn much, it makes me hurt to think that this baby wasn't an accident or that it wasn't created out of love, it was created out of a dirty little secret that you and your friends kept from everyone. You guys took _advantage_ of the poor guys who have to live the rest of their lives knowing that their kid is buried in the ground. Why did you do it?"

Gabriella's voice became angry. "Because this baby will be here with me forever!"

"And you don't think that I would be there forever?" Troy laughed sarcastically. "I loved you so much Gabriella, so so so much... I planned on being with you for the rest of my life... And you screwed it ALL up."

"I can't guarentee that you'll be there forever... " Gabriella sobbed. "What if you got up and left one day, and never came back? What happens when my mom and dad die? Where will I stand? I won't have anybody... " She looked down at the bed. "That's why I agreed to get pregnant on purpose."

Everyone became silent.

Troy opened the door. "You screwed up my happily ever after. Good ridence." Troy slammed the door behind him.

Gabriella bursted out crying, crying harder than she ever cried before. Maria held Gabriella in her arms, shushing her and trying to calm her down. Vincente` stood up.

"This is his fucking child too... He's not leaving you Gabriella. He's responsible for this too... "

Vincente` also slammed the door behind him.

He went after Troy.

He searched around the hospital for almost an hour. He became exhausted. He wasn't about to let his daughter not have a father for her child.

Finally, he found him.

Troy was sitting on a bench on the third floor by the elevator. He had his head in his hands, and was crying his eyes out.

Vincente` sighed and began to walk towards Troy. He took a seat beside Troy on the bench, not bothering to look at him.

"Sometimes, I want to pack my bags and leave the house, but I have to stop myself because I know I have a daughter to feed and a wife. Now, I also have a grandchild to feed. I wanted to leave so bad, because my wife was always unhappy, and I knew my daughter was having sex with you, and I had failed as a husband and a father. When Gabriella got pregnant, yeah, I was outraged and horribly angry at you and my daughter, but I couldn't force my daughter to give her child up for adoption, or push you out of her life. So, I accepted the fact and decided that you and Gabriella would just have to grow up and raise this child together." Vincente` leaned back on the bench. "Now you are in the situation I am always in. You have a girlfriend to make happy, and a baby to provide for. You can't leave Gabriella in the dust. She loves that baby more than anything, but I know that the rest of her heart goes towards you. She needs you. She needs your help to get through this."

"Your wife didn't promise to have a baby because her friends wanted to have a baby. You guys had Gabriella out of love. My parents had me out of love. My baby wasn't created out of love. It was created because a bunch of girls got together and make a promise to have kids together."

"And I'm also very frustrated and I don't understand why Gabriella did it. But I won't love my grandchild any less. That is your flesh and blood inside of my daughter, growing every day and learning new things. It's learning your voice and Gabriella's voice, and when that baby is born, it will hear and see Gabriella, but if you're not there..." He sighed. Vincente` wrapped an arm around Troy. "The promise is done and over. All of her friends lost their babies. She is the only one left that is pregnant. Nobody cares about some stupid promise to have babies. For all she cares, this baby represents a gift from you, and it wasn't the greatest gift you could have given to her, but to her, the gift is the greatest thing in her life, and always will be."

Troy nodded. "I understand... " He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "It's just hard to think that our love was based on a promise to her friends."

Vincente` laughed. "That's not how she thinks about you. She is nuts for you, boy, and she loves every inch of you." He stood up. "I think a visual-aid will help you realize... "

"A visual-aid?" Troy stood up.

"Let me take you somewhere." Vincente` ran his fingers through his light brown hair, then flickered his hazel eyes. He smiled at Troy.

...

Troy and Vincente` arrived at the mother and baby floor. He lead Troy to the front desk.

"Nurse, can I please see pictures of MVM-GM-94?"

"Password?"

"7685-09"

The nurse smiled and handed him a pile of pictures.

"Why are we even here?" Troy sat on the bench with Vincente`.

"Who do you think this is?" Vincente` handed Troy a picture of a blonde baby swaddled in a pink blanket.

"I... I don't know." Troy looked hard at the picture.

"How about this one?" Vincente` handed Troy a picture of a little girl with a tutu on, a crown, and a wand in her hand. She had light-brown hair and beautiful brown eyes. Troy recognized her.

"This is Gabriella."

"Sure is." Vincente` smiled. "So is the other one. She was born with blonde hair. It got darker as she got older, like her mother's."

Troy flipped through pictures, seeing pictures of Gabriella as she grew into her age that she is now. There was also an ultrasound picture.

"That was her before she was born."

Troy handed the pictures back to Vincente`. "What does this have to do with the situation?"

Vincente` sighed. "If you aren't there, you'll miss all those precious moments. I missed my daughter's first steps. I missed her first words... I missed the day that she went to school... "

"Why did you miss them?"

"I left Maria when she was pregnant because it was in her family's history to get pregnant on purpose. I left her until Gabriella was six. That's when I met my beautiful daughter, and I realized that I had missed her so much, and she wasn't worth leaving behind."

Troy nodded. "So you're saying that I should stay with Gabriella... "

"I don't care if you love my daughter or not, but please stay with her for the sake of your child. Your child loves you whether you think so or not."

Troy stared hard at a picture of Gabriella. He examined it fully, noticing every detail. It was a picture of her sitting on a pink blanket, around seven or eight months old. Her legs were crossed, and her head was tilted to the side. Her smile was toothy, with only one tooth hanging out of her mouth. But she still had those light brown eyes, and she had kept the beautiful smile like in the picture.

"I don't know if I can do it, Mr. Montez."

"You can try."

Troy handed the picture to Vincente` and sighed.

"I'll make sure I pay enough child support to get Gabriella through. If she ever needs anything, tell her to just ask."

Vincente` also stood up and grabbed Troy's arm.

"Troy, please... She needs you... "

"And I need her... But this is where I draw the line. I have to buck up and be a man. I can't do this anymore."

Troy began to walk the endless road, the endless road of grief.


	13. Vulnerable

May 29th, 2008: 1:13 AM

Gabriella sat lonely in the bleachers.

Her body didn't feel right. Her mind didn't feel right. The time didn't feel right... Her life didn't feel right.

Silence.

They were lonely.

Just Gabriella and her unborn baby.

Perched in the bleachers.

Alone.

The lights baked the perfectly green grass that wavered back and forth as the wind slowly rustled them. They were like people doing the wave, cheering the team, but more quietly.

Too quietly.

And she became lonely once again.

Alone.

She wanted to remember the football game like it was, the streamers going rapid, the cheerleaders cheering the team on, the sweat and blood layed on the field, and the winning team's fans screaming for them. Fireworks bursted into the sky, and the crowd screamed louder.

Alone...

She only wore a small coat which covered her entire body. It kept her and her baby warm against the chilling wind. She was six months now, but still was smaller than she was supposed to be. She blamed herself for it, even though the doctors said it was to be expected.

She blamed herself for everything.

For Troy, for the baby, for her life...

She blamed the fact that she lied to Troy on herself. But she took it too far.

She stared at the green field with white lines, her arms protecting her small body. She stared at it hard, watching every single movement. It reminded her of her past life, when things were much easier.

When she had Troy and Troy only.

Not her baby.

Without thinking another moment, Gabriella walked down the stairs and to the field. The fake grass felt like soft carpet against her shoes, and it was soothing to her. She could feel a slighter breeze on the field, so she took her jacket off and threw it down beside the bleachers. She wore a blue shirt, tight against her skin, with a small white undershirt showing right above her bra line. Jeans hugged her curves just right, showing that she was still sexy even though she was pregnant. You could barely tell she was even pregnant. Her hair was up in a ponytail, her curls tight and cute as ever. She looked like mommy and daddy's little girl, innocent light brown eyes and dark brown hair with a cutesy face. But she was fifteen with a baby growing inside of her. She wanted so badly to not be pregnant anymore, she wanted to be normal, she wanted Troy... But life wasn't that easy. It was harsh.

"God never gives you something that you can't handle, Gabriella... He's just protecting you... " She looked up at the sky. "You gave me this baby... And it wasn't a miracle like other babies... It was made because I made a promise... And now I'm paying for it... " Her brown eyes became redish. She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I just want to go back to my normal life. I don't want this baby anymore. I want Troy. I want my mom and dad. I want my life back!" Gabriella screamed. "I want my god damn life back!"

She began to sob uncontrollably. She fell in the middle of the field, balled up and crying. Her face was buried in her knees, her arms surrounded her, and she felt vulnerable.

Vulnerable...

Thinking that she was being ridiculous, she stood up and tried to stop crying. After fifteen minutes, she finally did stop. But the thought still lurked in her head.

"Please god... Please just give me my life back... I made a mistake... I made a horrible mistake... I vowed to my friends, I made love with the love of my life, I took an innocent child from your everlasting home because of some stupid promise... I robbed you of an innocent little baby that was meant for someone else other than me... And now I have to live with it for the rest of my life."

She rested her hand on her stomach, and looked down. She could feel her stomach jolting, and felt a push against the top of it.

"I know you're in there. Stop kicking me." She smiled a little.

She touched her neck, going past the scar from Haylie, feeling the gold chain rattling against her. She picked it up and stared at the golden cross.

"May the golden light shine down on you."


	14. Once A Cheater, Always A Cheater

May 29th, 2008: 10:38 AM

Gabriella entered her house. She was greeted by Colt, Henry, and Leaf, but didn't bother to say hello to them. She seemed saddened.

"GABRIELLA ANNE MONTEZ!" She heard her dad yell. She sighed in agony and walked into the kitchen.

"Where the hell were you all last night?" Vincente` stood up from the table and threw his newspaper down.

"I was at the stadium." She said grogily.

"Doing what?"

Gabriella plunked down on a stool. "Just being there, doing absolutely nothing."

Maria came downstairs. "She is finally home?"

"You're in some huge trouble, little girl!"

"Just kill me and get it over with." Gabriella groaned sadly.

"I want you back at this house every night at 8:00, got it?" Vincente` growled.

"Sure thing." Gabriella sighed.

"You better engrave that in your head, or I'll engrave you in the ground, Gabriella, you hear? I'll put you in your grave, dead or alive!"

"Fine dad! Just leave me alone!" She tipped the stool over and went to her room, slamming the door behind her.

Vincente` sighed and picked up the stool. "Maria, she needs to grow up before her baby comes. Gabriella needs to learn responsibility and time management, obviously. She can't take care of her baby unless she comes home to do it!"

"I can not do a thing about it, Vin! She will not listen to me!" She placed a box of cereal on the counter. "Her and I do not see eye to eye all the time. You are the only one who can straighten that girl out, other than Troy."

"I don't wanna hear about that lazy kid."

"He is still the father of your grandchild, Vincente`. He is family."

"Family or not, he's still a lazy jackass."

"He pays child support. He has a job so that he can provide for Gabriella and his child. That is not lazy, in my culture. Laziness in my culture is where you do not give a damn about your own child, not to mention any names, Vincente`."

"I came back for you and Gabriella!" He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Let's just not get into this, okay? I love you and Gabriella, and that's all that matters."

And suddenly, the doorbell rang.

Vincente` walked over to the door, opening it. He stepped aside.

"Hello Troy, Jack, Kay, come in." He looked worridly at Maria.

Maria smiled a little. "I suppose you are here to see Gabriella?"

Troy nodded, looking at the floor.

Maria ran to the basement door, opened it, and yelled down the stairs for Gabriella.

As Gabriella made her way up the stairs, she complained the entire way. "I know mom, 8:00 every night, blah blah blah- " She shut the door behind her and became a little confused. "Mr. and Mrs. Bolton? Troy? What are you guys doing here?"

Jack nudged Troy.

Troy sighed and looked up at her.

"I need to tell you something."

Gabriella walked towards him a little.

"You hurt me very badly, Gabriella... It hurt me so much to know that our relationship was there because you wanted to get pregnant- "

"I told you, that's not what our relationship was based on! I loved you so much Troy, and I didn't use your love! I loved you too! I only... " She sighed. "I only wanted to have a baby. That's all. I didn't 'use' you." Gabriella's eyes watered.

"I don't care anymore, Gabriella. I just need to get something off of my back."

Gabriella felt her baby kicking her, and kicking her hard. She winced a little and wrapped both arms around her stomach. It stopped immediatly. "What do you want to get off of your back?"

Troy looked sort of anxious.

"The day you told me that you were pregnant... I cheated on you with another girl."

Gabriella almost had a heart attack.

"You... You cheated on... me?"

He nodded sadly.

"I... I thought you loved me... " Tears fell from her eyes to the floor.

"And I thought you loved me too." Troy's eyes were red.

"I DID! HOW DO I FIT THAT IN YOUR MIND? I LOVED YOU SO GOD DAMN MUCH IT HURTS TROY! IT FUCKING HURTS!" She tried to calm down a little. She took a deep breath, and then began to speak again. "I agreed to get pregnant because I loved you. I loved _you_, Troy Bolton. I thought you loved me too, and it wouldn't be a problem because I thought you would love this baby too, and we would be happy together... But obviously, you didn't love me, and I made a fool out of myself that day when you got hurt on the field, and the day that I told you I was pregnant... You convinced me that you loved me... That's betrayal, Troy. That's fucking wrong... "

Maria approached Gabriella and began to reassure her. "Sweetheart, please calm down... It is not good for your baby... "

Gabriella sobbed and shook her head. "This isn't funny business, mom. This isn't like when dad left you and I... This is total betrayal... " She turned to Troy. "What did you do? Did you kiss her? Did you tell her you loved her?"

"No... I... "

Jack pushed Troy forward.

"I had sex with her, okay?"

Gabriella stared directly at him. Her body became extremely tense as her blood began to boil. She felt her baby kicking again.

"But Gabriella, you have to understand... I loved you, and I still do... I never didn't love you, I just needed an outlet- "

"Because I wasn't good enough?"

"No! You were perfect, you were amazing Brie! I was just stressed out!"

Vincente` flashed Troy an angry face. Troy receeded.

"Why were you stressed?"

"Because you had just told me that you were pregnant!"

Gabriella sat in the chair and looked at the floor. Tears dripped off of her face once again. She hid her face with her hands and cried silently to herself. She squeezed her hair.

"It's all my fault... " She shook her head.

Troy's eyes watered. He jerked once as he looked down on the floor, and Kay placed her hand on his back. He removed it quickly and looked back at her. "Don't treat me like a kid anymore. I've gotta grow up, mom. I've gotta grow up and be a man."

He made his way towards Gabriella. Squatting down in front of her, he took both of her hands.

"Don't blame yourself because of what I did. I was irresponsible and I take full blame for it."

Jack, Kay, Vincente`, and Maria were all staring at Troy and Gabriella.

"You never loved me... " Gabriella whined tearily and jerked with tears. "You lied... "

"Baby- "

"Don't call me baby!" Gabriella sobbed.

"I'm sorry." He looked at the floor.

"I loved you, and I agreed to have this baby because I thought you loved me too. I didn't use you or your love... You used me for sex, not because you loved me."

"That's not true... " He looked into her eyes. "I loved you from the start and I still love you now. I love you Gabriella Anne Montez, and I love our little baby too... You don't know how much I love you two... "

Troy snaked his hands around Gabriella, holding the sides of her stomach. He stroked it with his thumb, and Gabriella looked away.

"You liar... "

"I'm not lying... Please Gabriella, please understand... " He begged. He kissed her cheek and moved one of his hands around towards the front of her stomach. His entire hand engulfed her small bump. "Please Gabriella... "

She didn't respond. She continued to look away.

"I love you and our baby... You and this baby are my life... " He kissed the top of her stomach and then tried to kiss her lips. She turned her head even more. But temptation beat her. He continued to try, and finally, he gripped her lips in his, kissing her long and hard, trying to get her to realize...

When they finally pulled away, their foreheads fell together, and their lips were just centimeters away. Gabriella's eyes were closed, but Troy's were open, watching her eyes closely. Everyone stood solidly, waiting for the decision made by Gabriella. Troy's left hand still gripped the side of her stomach, and his right hand surrounded the tip of her stomach.

Gabriella cried a little harder. Troy did also.

She made her decision...

Gabriella pushed him away with her hands and stood up. She cried hard, moving away from him. She stood at the top of the left staircase, still debating on whether or not to go back to him. She turned around, staring at Troy, who was also crying. He stared back at her. But she didn't go back to him.

Without saying anything, Gabriella reached behind her neck and unclasped the necklace. She clasped it back together once it was off and clenched it tightly in her palm. She stared at it.

Everyone stared at it.

With a hard sob, she loosened her fingers, and tipped her hand to the side. The gold chain with the cross fell to the floor. She watched it closely, saying eight last words.

"May the gold light shine down on you."

Gabriella went to her room and slammed the door behind her.

Troy tried to hide his crying, but it was evident. He didn't bother to pick up the necklace. He simply began to walk towards the door.

"Atleast you tried Troy." Jack patted him on the back.

Troy became outraged.

"What the hell do you think trying is? I love her, and she doesn't even think I do! She hates me! I won't ever get to see my child, and you guys just say 'You tried'? This is 2008, and love isn't like it used to be back in the '90s and '80s! This is 2008 love, and people in 2008 don't just give up! I love her, god damn it! I LOVE HER!" He stormed outside and down the street, not bothering to enter his parents' truck.

Kay, Jack, Maria and Vincente` all shook hands and said how sorry they were, and went their separate ways.


	15. Forgiven

(Sorry for the overly-long chapter. xD Had an urge to write at 2:00-6:00 AM in the morning. Lol!)

May 30th, 2008: 1:48 PM

Gabriella finally woke up from a long night.

She went upstairs, let the dogs out into the backyard, and then plopped down on the living room chair. She rested one of her hands on top of her bump and reclined the chair.

Her dad came in from the front door. He smiled at Gabriella.

"Good afternoon Gabriella, did you sleep well?" He chuckled.

"I don't wanna talk about it." She barked.

Vincente` set the mail on the end table and flipped his shoes off. "Your mother wants to take you baby shopping. You're six months pregnant and still have nothing for your baby."

"I'll do it on my own terms."

"Okay, fine... " He folded his arms. "Your first child support check came in the mail today from Troy- "

"DON'T MENTION THAT ASSHOLE!"

"Watch your mouth Montez, or I'll wipe that mouth clear off your face!"

Gabriella began to cry a little. "Just leave me alone dad! Stop talking to me and give me some space, okay?"

"I know you're upset right now, but please try to calm down for the sake of your baby, okay sweetheart?" Vincente` stood over the chair and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She moved her head and whined.

"I won't bother you if you're that upset." He sighed and moved away from the chair.

...

The phone began to ring.

Gabriella jumped out of her sleep and sat up a little. She noticed that her mom got the phone. She relaxed a little once again, but her mother shook her shoulder.

"Gabriella?"

"What?" She rolled over and whined.

"Caitlin is on the phone."

She grabbed the phone from her mom and held it to her ear. She shut her eyes. "Hey Caitlin."

"Hi Gabriella."

"What did you want?"

"I was just wondering if it was okay if I came by later on? I need to get away from my parents and Harvey."

Gabriella's eyes watered a little, knowing that Harvey and Caitlin were back together after the sickening nightmare of signing his rights over and Caitlin losing her baby...

"Right now isn't a good time."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"I just need space from everyone. I'm starting to get withdraws."

"Withdraws from what?"

Gabriella moaned and rolled on her back. "Troy."

Caitlin giggled over the phone. "You can't get withdraws from a person."

"Yes you can, I swear to god you can... I already went through my morning sickness phase, but I got sick all last night. I also had a terrible headache, and all I could think about was Troy."

"Are you sure you don't want me to come and be with you?"

"I'm sure Caitlin. Maybe another day, okay? Just not today... "

"Okay sissy. Love you Gabriella. Just hang in there, okay?"

"Okay Cait. Love you too.. Bye." Gabriella pressed end and handed the phone to her mother.

"So Caitlin is not coming?"

"Not today."

Maria set the phone on the receiver. "Would you like something to eat sweetheart?"

"Not really."

"You need to eat, Gabriella. You have not eaten for almost two days now. Your baby is hungry."

"But I'm not hungry... "

"I will go cut a piece of cake for you."

Gabriella sighed.

Her mother brought her back a platter with vanilla cake on it and some milk.

"Sit up and eat, okay?" She helped push the recliner in and then she handed Gabriella her piece of cake. "Eat."

Gabriella dug her fork into the cake, moaning and complaining, then took a bite and swallowed hard. She did that until she finished. Her throat felt dry, although she kept drinking milk. Her stomach also felt extremely full, due to the fact that she hadn't eaten in two days.

"Thank you, now sit back and relax a little."

Gabriella sighed and nodded.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed.

She picked up her neon green phone, looking at the caller ID. She touched the ignore button on the screen set it back down.

Once again, it buzzed.

Ignored.

"Who is it that is calling, Gabriella?" Her mother said as she walked into the living room.

Gabriella groaned and tightened her messy bun plopped on top of her head. "My worst nightmare."

"Is it Troy?"

"Nope. His dad." Gabriella squeezed the arms of the chair, letting out a large sigh.

"You should answer it. Please do not cause any more trouble than there already is, sweetie. Just see what he wants." Maria rubbed her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. "Do not be afraid to confront Jack."

Buzzed.

Ignored.

"Gabriella, please... He is the grandfather of your baby."

"I'm already ignoring my baby's father, so why not my baby's grandfather?" Gabriella reclined the chair once again.

"You cannot ignore them forever, sweetheart. They love you and only want the best for you, like your father and I. Troy loves you too. Please answer the phone when he calls. You need to work something out with him.

"You don't think I can ignore them?" Gabriella looked up at her mother devilishly with an evil grin on her face.

"No. I do not think you can." Her mother folded her arms.

The phone began to buzz once again.

"Watch me." Gabriella turned towards the phone, ignored the call, then turned her phone off.

Maria, frustrated, turned around and walked towards the kitchen. "I do not think that this is right, Gabriella! You need to talk to them!"

"They're not the ones pregnant with this baby, are they? It's my baby, and I can do whatever I want with it. If this baby is a boy, there's not a damn law that says I can't dress my boy up in a girl's dress and pass him off as a little girl, is there? If this baby is a girl, there's no law saying that I can't name her Kevin, is there? This is my baby for all I care now." She turned back to her phone and turned it on, thinking that Jack had finally stopped calling.

Five minutes later, it buzzed.

Groaning, she finally picked the phone up, pressed receive on the screen.

Maria laughed to herself.

"The only reason I answered was to tell you to stop calling me." Gabriella sighed and leaned back.

"I'm only calling because Troy doesn't have the guts to call you." Jack said quickly.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "What do you want, Mr Bolton? I'm tired of dealing with this shit, and I can't take it anymore!"

"He just needs one more chance Gabriella, just one more chance. He realizes that he screwed up. Troy doesn't want to spend the rest of his life knowing that he left the love of his life out in the cold with his own child... Troy loves you, Gabriella. He came to your house yesterday to beg you of your forgiveness. I am begging you, Gabriella, please just give him another shot to be a good father, please... "

"I understand where you're coming from, Mr. Bolton... and I know I screwed up too, but... " She sighed and rubbed her forehead. "This baby is the only reason I am keeping myself away from Troy, or else I would have been all over him yesterday... I can't get into a relationship with someone who has already lied to me and has cheated... " She tried not to cry. "Who has cheated on me... I can't put my baby in a situation where its dad goes out and cheats on me, it's just a situation ready to happen... This baby has changed me, Mr. Bolton. I've grown up faster than I grew into being a kid. I can't change that for someone who I can't trust anymore. I'm sorry Mr. Bolton, but I can't picture myself living with a cheating asshole for the rest of my life. I love Troy to death, but things have to be this way I'm just... Done... " Gabriella curled up in the chair and pulled a blanket up to her knees.

"He only slept with another girl once Gabriella. It's not like he did it six times."

"Once a cheater, always a cheater."

"That's not true." Jack sighed.

"In my book it is."

"But in real life, it isn't. You just have to understand, Gabriella... This kid cried all night. I have never seen Troy cry past the age of four. He hasn't eaten since the morning of the football game. The only contact he's had with us for the past week is when he decided to come and tell you what he did. Gabriella, I love you to death sweetheart, you are like the daughter I never had, and as far as I'm concerned, whether this baby was planned or not, whether you lied to my son or not, this baby is a blessing, and I can't be more grateful for you to provide our family with this miracle. We love you Gabriella- " He paused for a minute to listen to Gabriella's cries of hopelessness over the phone. "And we want you to be in our family. We only want the best for you and this baby... "

Gabriella gripped the phone tightly in her hand like she was gripping onto her life. She cried into her knees as her mother rubbed her back. She was trying to make the hardest decision she would ever make, and Jack wasn't helping.

"Mr. Bolton, I... " Gabriella sobbed and tried to take a couple deep breaths. It didn't help.

"Please... " Jack begged and sounded a little teary. "We love you so much, Gabriella, so much... Troy loves you so much that it's killing him... "

Gabriella cried harder, letting her tears pour onto her legs. She felt horrible.

"If it isn't a bother to you, we would like you to stop over sometime today to talk it over with you... Just you, Kay and I... Is that okay?"

Gabriella sniffled and tried to talk.

"I... "

"If it's too much of a bother- "

"No... it's really not... "

"Do you want me to come and pick you up?"

"You don't have to do that Mr. Bolton. I'll walk over."

"No no no, I insist sweetheart. Don't gussy yourself up or anything, just stay the way you are. I'll be over in a minute or two, okay?"

"Alright... " Gabriella sighed. "Bye." She pressed end on her phone and set it between her legs.

"What is going on?" Maria squated down on the side of the chair.

"Jack's coming to pick me up. He insists on talking to me about the baby and about Troy." She closed her eyes and set one of her hands across her stomach.

"Good for you Gabriella." Maria smiled and kissed Gabriella's left hand.

"I need to go get my shoes." Gabriella groaned and stood up.

"Just wear your slippers sweetie."

"That sounds comfy... " She looked down at her loose t-shirt and sweats. "More comfy to add to my already comfy suit." She giggled a little, then shoved her feet into her slippers. She waited patiently by the front door.

"I will see you later, okay?" Maria kissed Gabriella's cheek as Jack pulled into the driveway.

"Okay mom... " Gabriella opened the front door, clutching her phone in her left hand, and made her way out to Jack's brand new shining truck. Jack happily opened the door for her, and Gabriella entered the truck and shut the door behind her.

"Are you okay with coming over to the house?" Jack pulled Gabriella into a hug and kissed her cheek.

"I'm a little uneasy, but I'll be fine." She pulled away and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Kay's waiting for you at the front door with a blanket and a pillow. She's planning on keeping you for the night, but I told her that it was a longshot because Troy's home." Jack grinned.

"I'm not spending the night, but I'll be happy to lay on your comfy couch wearing my comfy clothes." Gabriella smiled a little.

"Good." He pulled out of the driveway. "You know that Kay and I love you like you're our daughter, right?"

"I know now."

"We only want the best for you and this baby... I know I've been an enemy because I suggested adoption, but I know that's out of the question, and I've accepted that. I just didn't want you to ruin your life."

"And I'm not going to. I regret that promise, and I regret having sex with Troy in the first place, and I regret getting pregnant. I don't know if Troy regrets it or not, but I don't regret my baby. I love this baby so much now, and I wouldn't give it up for the world. I would die if it meant my baby would be safe."

"I understand that, Gabriella. I have a son, and he means the world to me. I would do anything for him, even if that meant I would die for him. So I understand where you're coming from. And I know that Troy regrets cheating on you. He'll live with that fact for the rest of his life, just like you'll live with the fact that you promised your friends to get pregnant and used Troy to get pregnant- "

"I didn't use Troy. I loved Troy, Mr. Bolton, I loved him so much... So it seemed like the right time to make that promise."

"Anyway, I know that Troy regrets getting you pregnant. He feels like its his fault and that he has to live with it for the rest of his life. He feels like he failed you and abolished your trust for him. But he loves you so much Gabriella, he really does. He obviously needs you to survive, because he isn't eating or sleeping, he's just upstairs sopping around in guilt." Jack pulled into the driveway, hopped out of the car, and ran to the other side to help Gabriella.

"Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I need help getting out of a truck!" Gabriella jumped out of the truck and slammed the door. "Now I know where Troy gets his manners from." She smiled.

Jack lead her into the house, opening the door for her. She was immediatly greeted by Kay, who embraced her tightly and then lead her to the couch. She made Gabriella sit.

Kay and Jack sat in front of her on the other couch.

"Like I said Gabriella, he needs you. He doesn't know what life is without you in it. He thinks you are life. Life is spelled G-A-B-R-I-E-L-L-A to him. Everything about you is perfect to him. If you had a zit on the tip of your nose, he would think it was perfect." Jack sighed. "The point is, Troy loves you more than what you think he does. He did only what he did because he wasn't thinking straight." Jack took Kay's hand.

"We love you Gabriella. Don't think that we don't. We want you to be a part of our family forever, and we want this baby to be a part of our family too, with or without Troy. When I found out you were pregnant, I pulled out all of Troy's baby things and all of my stillborn baby girl's things and layed them all out on my bed. I brought Troy's old crib up to the empty room upstairs and set it up for your baby. I was ready for anything, Gabriella. Ever since the night I gave birth to my little boy, and when I held him in my arms, I had dreams for him, and whether or not he was going to grow old and be a beggar on the side of the road, I didn't care. I loved that little boy so much Gabriella, so much... He was the only thing I could hold onto everyday and kiss his little nose and watch him grow. I still wish he was that young, but he's growing into a man now. He's becoming responsible and hell, he's about to become a father, which I never thought he would become. I thought he wouldn't have any kids, because when he was young, he used to insist that he would never have kids. But just look at you. You are carrying the future Bolton in your stomach right now, and I can't be more ecstatic about it. I love this baby so much Gabriella, and I'm so close to holding this baby in my arms... Please don't ruin that for me... "

Gabriella's arms were tightly wrapped around her as she stared long and hard at Kay and Jack. She felt her entire world was finally getting the support it needed to live. She didn't feel alone anymore.

"For the sake of our grandchild, please consider just giving Troy one more chance Gabriella, just one more chance... He needs you so badly sweetheart, he really needs you." Jack stared into Gabriella's eyes.

Gabriella heard somebody coming down the steps.

She froze.

Troy stopped in front of the arched doorway. He stared long and hard at Gabriella. His hair was perfectly straight and medium brown like always, his eyes were crisp and vivid blue, and the whites of his eyes were whiter than ever. She noticed a little stubble on his neck and face, which was foreign, but it made him look older and more manly. His arms were still thick and muscular, and his body was lean and fit like usual. He was still the same old Troy, just a little rough around the edges. He finally spoke in a soft but wary tone.

"Gabriella?"

Gabriella stared long and hard at Troy.

Kay and Jack waited unpatiently on the couch. Their hands tightly squeezed eachother's.

It seemed like an eternity passed.

But in reality, only two second had passed.

They still stared.

Locked in a never-ending gaze.

Silence...

Gabriella sprang up from her seat and bolted to Troy. She jumped into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his tight waist. Her body hit his, making him stumble backwards a little, but he caught her and hugged her tightly. Her small bump rubbed slightly against his tight abs, but he didn't care, because he knew that his child rests inside of the love of his life.

She squeezed him tightly, nestling her face into his neck, inhaling his sweet cologne, the kind that she loved. He buried his head into her shoulder, holding her body tightly with his left arm and holding the back of her head with his right hand. As she cried, he whispered that she was safe and that he would never let her go ever again. He looked at his parents, who were both whispering and smiling to eachother. He turned to his right, making his way up the stairs. He reached the end of the hallway, where he kicked his door open, shut it with his foot, and sat down on his bed with her still in his arms. She continued to cry in his arms for ten minutes. He enjoyed every minute of holding her in his arms.

When she finally pulled back, she wiped her eyes with one hand while holding his neck with the other. Troy kissed her lips softly a couple times, then rubbed her arm. He stared at her, stared at every inch of her body, taking in every feature and memorizing it. He loved her, every part of her.

While running her fingers through his hair, she stared deeply into his eyes, wandering closely to his irises. Trapped in his gaze, she finally spoke.

"I love you... " Tears fell down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry for putting you through hell... "

"Don't cry baby girl... " He removed her tears with his thumb, then kissed the tip of her nose. "I was the one who put you through hell... I made it all worse... "

She grabbed his right hand and kissed it. She then entwined her fingers with his.

"I shouldn't have cheated on you, whether or not you lied to me about that secret. I never meant to. I love you more than anything... I was so close to just ending my life, because I needed you so bad and I couldn't live without you... "

Gabriella ran her fingers through the side of his hair, then rested her hand on the back of his neck, where she grabbed her other hand and held him closely. "I just have one question for you... "

"Anything... " He pecked her lips gently and rubbed her back.

"I want you to be totally honest, and I won't get mad as long as you don't lie... Who did you cheat on me with?"

Troy almost dropped Gabriella.

"Let's not talk about this- "

"Troy Bolton... Tell me." She stared into his eyes.

He looked away.

"Who was it?"

He didn't respond.

"Is it really that bad?"

"It's a horrible situation anyway... The person I had sex with makes the situation even worse... "

"Please just tell me... You're scaring me... " A tear dripped off of her face.

He sighed and looked down at Gabriella's small bump. He knew he had to tell her.

Guilt overcame him. "Barker Merer's girlfriend."

Gabriella thought her body exploded.

"B-Barker Me-rer's... Girlfriend?"

Troy nodded sadly.

"Haylie Kayne... ?" Gabriella sobbed.

He nodded again.

"Haylie Kayne, the girl who slit my throat and tried to kill our baby?"

"I wasn't thinking straight... She was just... There... She was there after I left the hospital when she slit your throat... She was outside of the party I went to... We just did it right there."

"Right outside the party?"

"On a bench outside the party."

Gabriella began to cry a little harder.

"I thought the school expelled her... "

"They didn't have enough evidence to prove that she slit your throat. They let her off with an ISS."

Gabriella shook her head. "This just gets even worse every time I talk about it."

"I told you... I just wasn't thinking straight. I'm so sorry Brie, so so sorry... I will never do it ever again, I swear on my life."

Gabriella looked down at their hands. "I don't know if I can forgive you for that one."

"You don't have to ever forgive me. I don't deserve you or this baby, I never did. I was lucky to get you baby girl, and I hold onto ever moment that I have you in my arms... "

Troy kissed her shoulder and rubbed her back gently. Suddenly, Gabriella squeezed Troy's shoulders and Troy grinned.

"Did you feel that?"

"I felt it." Troy looked down at her stomach.

"You've never felt a baby kick, have you?"

"Nope. That was the first time."

Gabriella pulled away from him and stared into his eyes. He smiled at her.

"You're so beautiful Gabriella... I love you so much."

"Even with my hair all messy?" She grinned.

"Even with your hair all messy."

She pecked his lips a couple times. "I love you too."

She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed in relief.

Everything was normal again.


	16. Lonely

June 3rd, 2008: 1:49 PM

School ended for the summer.

There was absolutely nothing to do after that.

As Gabriella emptied her locker, she could see someone familiar out of the corner of her right eye.

She touched her neck, feeling the golden cross, then moved upward and touched her scar.

Haylie.

Brieanne.

Elise.

She quickly shut her locker and locked it, hoisting her bag onto her shoulder. She turned, but felt a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm surprised you're still pregnant." She could hear Haylie say under her breath. She turned around.

All three girls surrounded her.

"Listen, I have to go. I can't sit here and fight with you about my baby."

"Your baby means nothing to me anymore." Haylie chuckled.

"Then why are you even bothering me?"

"Because I want this." Haylie grabbed the golden cross and tried to yank it off of her neck. "Troy let me wear it the night we had _sex_."

Gabriella backed away. "The only person he ever lets wear his cross is me, and he certainly wouldn't let a slut like you ever wear it."

"Slut? Who's the cheater?"

"He only did it once, and he never meant it!" Gabriella's eyes watered. She grabbed the cross and held it tightly in her hand. "Troy is my fucking boyfriend, he's my fucking baby's father, and he is NOTHING to you Haylie! So back the fuck off!"

"A lot of fucks in that sentence, huh? You think you're such a bad girl, well come on, kill me!" Haylie grinned. Brieanne and Elise both looked unsure and backed away.

Gabriella's blood boiled. The only thing that kept her from killing Haylie was her baby, or else she would have scratched Haylie's eyes out.

"I'm not going to kill you, not because I'm a pussy, but because I have a baby and someone who loves me a lot, unlike any of you guys, who are sluts and go get pregnant on purpose."

"You got pregnant on purpose too, so don't say anything about us."

"But I loved Troy, and you guys just used your boyfriends." Gabriella sighed. "I can't sit here and chat, I have to leave."

Haylie grabbed the back of her shirt. "You aren't going anywhere until I get that chain!"

"You won't EVER get this chain! This is MY chain, and I don't care how much you say that Troy let you wear it, the only person he ever let wear this chain was ME! You will never step up to the pedestal for Troy, I'm on the top, and you aren't even on it! So leave us alone! I didn't butt into your relationship with Barker, did I? I regret ever becoming friends with you guys, I regret that fucking promise, I regret ever having sex with Troy, and I regret getting pregnant, but I DO NOT, and I said DO NOT, EVER regret my baby! Unlike you guys, I have a baby, I have my baby's father, and I have his family and my family beside me the entire way!"

Haylie became outraged. "YOU IDIOTIC LITTLE WHORE!"

"JUST LEAVE US ALONE YOU ASSHOLES! LEAVE US ALONE FOR GOD'S SAKE!"

Gabriella felt her body being yanked backwards. She turned around quickly, scared, but sighed in relief.

"God damn, you scared me baby."

Troy kissed the top of her head and looked at Haylie, Elise, and Brieanne. "These girls bothering you?"

Gabriella nodded.

"You let me handle this, okay?" Troy let Gabriella go and walked in front of her.

Gabriella watched frightfully.

"I swear to god Haylie, if you ever, EVER try to touch my girl or my kid ever again, I will personally hang you on the flagpole outside, and you will stay there where everybody can see your naked, sickening body, GOT IT?"

Haylie became suddenly charming. "But baby, you always let me wear your cross, and you always told me that I was your favorite."

"What the hell? Why do you make things up that aren't true? I NEVER let you wear my cross, you slutty whore, and I never told you that I loved you- "

"But we made love- "

"On a fucking bench Haylie. Doesn't that tell you anything?"

"It's still love."

"It was grief Haylie. I was upset because I had just left Gabriella, and you were the only one there. I hate your guts for trying to kill my baby and my girl. There's not one inch of my body that likes you. It is PURE hatred, you ass."

Troy turned around towards Gabriella. He turned back to them again.

"Oh, and you two back there, I told your boyfriends about that promise. They aren't very happy. So if I were you, I would go chase after them now. And don't ever come anywhere near Gabriella or my kid, or you'll be hanging on the flagpole with Haylie, GOT IT?"

Both girls nodded quickly. They ran towards the exit of the school.

"You better go with them, because I told Barker too. I also told him how you got me drunk and forced me to have sex with you."

"I never got you drunk and forced you to have sex with me!"

Troy grinned devilishly. "Well that's what he thinks now!"

Crying, Haylie ran out of the school towards the football field, following both Brieanne and Elise. Troy turned back to Gabriella, grinning.

"Go sign the promotion card to tenth grade. I'll be waiting in my truck, okay?" He grabbed her waist and kissed the side of her neck. She giggled.

"You have to sign your to eleventh!"

"I already did."

She groaned.

"I'm going, I'm going." Gabriella swiveled out of his arms and walked down the hallway.

...

Caitlin caught Gabriella on the way out of the school.

"Hey Gabriella!" She grabbed Gabriella in her arms and squeezed her tightly.

"Caitlin!" Gabriella squeezed her back, smiling big. As she pulled away, Caitlin looked at her small bump.

"You haven't gotten any bigger since I saw you about a month ago... "

"Troy's taking me to my doctor's appointment. I'm planning on asking them about it while I'm there."

"Do you think that because you're small that your baby is small?" Caitlin looked worridly at Gabriella.

"I don't know. That's why I made an appointment."

Caitlin sighed. "Well, I've gotta get going. Harvey got us reservations for a really fancy restaurant." She hugged Gabriella once again. "I'll see you!"

"Alright sissy." Gabriella grinned and began to walk the opposite way of Caitlin. She exited the school, walked down the stairs, and started towards Troy's truck.

She pulled his truck door open an hopped inside of the truck. "Hey!" Gabriella said happily, leaning over to peck his lips.

He gladly took the opportunity for a kiss. When he pulled away, he cocked his head to the side. "Are you feeling okay?"

Confused, Gabriella answered. "I feel fine. Why?"

"You look kind of... Drab... " He chuckled. "No, I mean... You just don't look right, somehow."

"I don't know why... " She clicked her seatbelt on and listened to Troy put his on.

"Did you put on makeup today?"

"I did."

"Are you wearing new clothes?"

"Nope."

"Wearing a bra and underwear?" He quickly protected himself with his free arm and laughed.

Gabriella smacked him. "Hasn't your dad taught you not to ask a lady that?"

"I was just wondering!"

"If you must know, I AM wearing a bra and underwear. You slick little snake." She giggled.

He put the key in the ignition and turned it. His eyes closed, and he pulled both hands to his face and rubbed his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"Got a migrane... " He placed his hands on the steering wheel. "It'll go away."

Troy pulled out of the school parking lot and was immediatly bombarded by the football team. They surrounded his entire truck.

He rolled down his window. "What the hell? Get out of the way!"

Harvey immediatly came up to the window. "Are you coming to the banquet tommorow?"

"Can't." He grabbed Gabriella's hand.

"Why not?" Harvey grinned. "You're the captain, Bolton."

"I've gotta take Gabi to the doctor."

Gabriella squeezed his hand. "Troy, don't cut them out because of me." She smiled and kissed his cheek. "Go to the banquet."

"But what about the baby?"

"I'll take care of it."

"But I promised- "

"Just go and have fun. You need to have a little fun before you become a daddy."

Troy sighed. "Alright. I'll probably go."

The entire football team yelled in joy. Troy looked over at Gabriella and kissed her cheek. "Thank you. But how are you going to get to the doctor?"

"I'll have my mom take me."

Troy looked at the steering wheel. "Alright guys, I'll see you at 4:00 tommorow."

The team backed away from the truck as Troy began to drive slowly. He rolled his window up and cranked on the air conditioner, then turned the radio on.

Gabriella immediatly began to laugh.

"Oh my god, this is that song... "

Troy brought Gabriella's hand to his lips and kissed it. He glanced over at her with a smile on his face. "It's not the best song in the world, but I love it because you love it."

Gabriella threw her head back and began to sing raucously to the radio. Troy laughed the entire time she sang.

_"I spread my wings and I learn how to fly. I'll do what it takes 'till I touch the sky and I make a wish, take a chance, make a change... And break away... I will break away... "_

Gabriella laughed when she finally finished. They laughed together, and suddenly, Gabriella felt like she was a kid again.

That song didn't even compare to the next song on the radio.

"Oh my god, it's that song from that little hampster movie!"

Gabriella began to sing once again.

_"When I say jump you say how high. I ain't never seen nobody ever get so high. Like a bird, like a plane, this party got me insane, this party got me insane so jump jump jump jump!"_

She grinned at Troy.

Another song that they both recognized came on five minutes later.

Both of them stared at eachother, wide open eyes and drooping mouths. Both laughed hysterically.

Gabriella blasted the radio.

And she sang again.

_"My eyes are open wide. By the way, I made it through the day. I watch the world outside. By the way, I'm leaving out today. I just saw Hailey's comet shooting, say, why you always running in place? Even the man on the moon disappeared... Somewhere in the stratosphere."_

Troy, happily, joined in, holding Gabriella's hand tightly as he drove down the road.

_"Tell my mother, tell my father, I've done the best I can... To make them realize this is my life, I hope they understand... I'm not angry, I'm just saying sometimes goodbye is a second chance... "_

Gabriella kissed Troy's cheek and smiled. "Damn, we both can't sing worth shit, and we still sit here and sing to the radio... " She laughed. "I feel like I'm a little kid again, sitting in the car with my mom and dad, singing to the oldest songs I've ever heard... "

"I feel like I'm with my boys, singing in the locker room as we all get dressed and ready for the game." Troy looked over at her.

"I sort of feel like I'm not pregnant." Gabriella laughed at herself. "That's kind of drastic for me, because every single solitary second of the day, I feel like a pregnant old bitch who sits around and does nothing."

"You're the most beautiful pregnant old bitch in the world." He smiled cheesily.

She rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the reassurance."

"Very welcome."

He pulled into the driveway of Gabriella's house and turned the car off. They both sat in silence. Then, Gabriella finally opened the door.

Troy grabbed her arm. "Wait."

She turned her head towards him and stared into his eyes.

"Are you sure you don't want me to take you to the doctor tommorow?"

"Well, I sort of do, but if your banquet is a little more important, than I suppose you can go. You need to go have fun before this baby comes."

"You and our baby is more important than anything, Gabriella, and I don't need fun before our baby comes. What about you? You just sit around and do nothing all day, and then I get to go out and have fun without you."

"I can't do anything fun, Troy. I can't go out and drink all night. I can't go clubbing or bar hopping. I can't do anything risky right now." She grabbed her bag. "Go have fun. I insist." She gave him a fake smile.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Alright... " Troy sighed. "Call me after you get back from the doctor's tommorow, okay?"

"I will."

He reached over and kissed her lips softly twice. He pulled away, stroked her cheek with his thumb, and sighed again. Troy pulled his hand away from her face and started the car again.

"I love you." Gabriella said gently, and stepped down from the truck.

He put the car in reverse and glanced at her. "I love you too."

"Go have fun, Troy. Don't worry about me, okay?"

"I'll try not to."

Gabriella shut the car door and waved to him as he pulled out and began to drive down the street. A tear fell down her cheek.

Deep inside, she really did want him to go with her, but she knew that his fun was more important. He needed to get it all out.

But Gabriella felt lonely once again.


	17. The Little Boy Who Cried Spina Bifida

June 4th, 2008: 4:17 PM

Gabriella and her mother entered the clinic, where she was immediatly called back. She left her mother outside while she went in alone.

The midwife was the first to come into the room. "I am so sorry Gabriella, one of my patients was running really late. Let's try to get this show on the road, okay?"

Gabriella nodded quickly.

The midwife smiled at her as she got the ultrasound ready. "So, have you been keeping up with the vitamins?"

"Every day."

"More kicks?"

"Most definitely."

"Any bleeding?"

"Not at all."

"Have your cravings gone down?"

"I haven't even had cravings."

"That's what most of my patients complain about." She laughed and put her gloves on. "Any changes at all?"

"Not really... " Gabriella set her purse down on the chair. "Is that a bad thing?"

"In some cases, it can be, but we're about to find out."

Gabriella stuck her arm out, knowing immediatly that the midwife wanted a blood sample, just like any other time.

"Just stick me and get it over with."

And she did.

As she sent the blood to be tested, Gabriella felt a little sick. She gripped the edges of the table and gasped a little when she felt a jolt of pain ripple up her spine.

The midwife walked back into the room with a big smile. It turned into a frown immediatly.

"Is something wrong?"

Gabriella nodded.

"Pain at all?"

She nodded again.

"Where?"

"On my back, dead center all the way up and down."

"Where your spine is?"

She nodded.

The midwife lifted up the back of her shirt and touched her back.

"You've never experienced this before?"

"Not once... "

"You could just be starting to get back pains. It's a little late to be getting back pain, but I think that's what it is."

Gabriella winced as another bolt of pain racked her spine.

"Just try to relax. It will go away soon."

The midwife made her lay on the table. Gabriella lifted her shirt up and then yipped again because of back pain.

"Try to stay calm Gabriella. Like I said, it will go away soon."

She looked at the monitor, hearing the swishing sound and a heartbeat all mixed in that. She looked at the ceiling.

The midwife sighed. "Still, this baby has only gained about an ounce since last month. It hasn't even grown a centimeter. It still has a steady heartbeat, but it isn't growing right."

She moved the stylus around a little, then stopped in one spot. She twisted the stylus back and forth. "That's weird... "

Gabriella looked at her. "What?"

"I know that you didn't want to know your baby's gender, but... "

She became a little concerned. "What's going on?"

"Before I say anything, I need to make sure that what I'm seeing is real and isn't just a defect in the stylus or the monitor... "

Gabriella's eyes watered, waiting for the final answer. Her heart was beating faster than normal.

"Okay, there's something very wrong here. There are two things that I see wrong. If you want to know only one, that's fine, because the other has to do with the baby's gender."

Gabriella stared at the monitor, trying to decide on what to do. She knew that Troy wanted to know really badly, but she really didn't want to know. It was like making a choice that she knew she would regret.

"Alright, just tell me if it's a boy or girl."

"Are you sure? It's really not that large of a problem. It can be fixed with a little minor surgery."

"I want to know anything that's wrong."

"Let me check again. I don't want to inform you wrongly."

"That's fine." Gabriella sighed.

The nurse looked for atleast five minutes. Gabriella waited impatiently.

"Let me take a couple pictures and document the problems on camera."

She took six pictures, setting each of them on the table beside Gabriella. She took the stylus off of Gabriella for a couple seconds.

"Okay, I think Troy is going to be happy to know now, because I know that he's been all antsy to know."

"He's going to go haywire when I tell him. So, boy or girl? Just hit me with it." Gabriella gripped the side of the table.

The midwife smiled. "Which did you want?"

"I kind of want what every girl wants. A girl."

"And Troy wanted a boy, I'm guessing?"

"Oh god does he. I insist that it's going to be a girl, but he begs me for a boy."

"Well, I think he would be happy either way."

"Just tell me already!"

She laughed. "Okay, okay. Troy's going to be bouncing off the walls because it is a boy."

Gabriella sighed.

"Eh, I'm happy either way. It doesn't matter really. Now what does this have to do with what's wrong?"

"Well, like I said, it would be a minor surgery, and it would take a little under an hour."

"What is it?"

She grabbed one of the pictures. "You'll be seeing this all the time, so get used to it." She pointed to something on the picture. "Do you see this little dark spot?"

She nodded.

"That isn't supposed to be there. I would say at about three months, when he started growing full time, his skin was beginning to form. His body grew faster than his skin, and the skin around his penis didn't grow fast enough. It tore a little above the head of his penis and the neck of it. It's nothing big, it just needs a little bit of surgery to repair. So don't get worried about that, okay?"

Gabriella nodded and took the picture, setting it beside her.

"Now, this is what really is scaring me." She picked up another picture off of the table and showed it to Gabriella. "There is a little bubble on his back. It isn't too big, but this little bubble could be a very big problem for him in the future." The doctor pointed to it and then set the picture down.

"I don't really understand how a little bubble can do anything... "

"I'll tell you a little more about it." The doctor sat on the chair in front of her. She gave Gabriella a towel to wipe her stomach off, and turned the monitor off. She began to print copies of the pictures.

As Gabriella sat up, she wiped her stomach off and handed the towel back to the midwife. She pulled her shirt down and took the original pictures from the midwife.

"Okay, this little bubble on his back could grow and cover his entire back by the time he is born. It could stay the same size. I don't know. Right now, it is about the size of a dime. But the thing is, if the bubble isn't removed quickly after birth, he might never walk in his entire life. He might get scoliosis, or he might even have ruptured disks in his spine, or even worse than that. He could die."

Gabriella felt tears running down her cheeks. "So you're telling me that if this isn't fixed as soon as he's born, he could be disabled for the rest of his life, or he could even die?"

"That's what I'm saying. I'm so sorry to have to tell you this, Gabriella." The midwife grabbed one of Gabriella's hands and sighed. "It's called Spina Bifida."

"Spina Bifida? Why is this happening?"

"I can't diagnose a cause. The only options I could give you are for you to either give the baby up for adoption if he lives, or to prepare yourself if you decide that you want to keep him."

"There's no discussion about adoption in the future. I won't ever give my baby up for adoption. I couldn't do it. I might as well just prepare myself." She tried to stay calm, but couldn't.

"I'm going to call a specialist in. He will confirm the diagnosis and help you decide on your next steps. I'm going to need for you to stay here."

Gabriella shook her head. "This can't be happening... "

"Just hang in there sweetheart. Do you want me to call your mother back?"

"Not yet... Please tell her, but don't let her come back yet. I have to call Troy and tell him."

The midwife nodded. "I am very sorry once again." She exited the room and shut the door behind her.

Gabriella broke down horribly.

While crying hysterically, she grabbed her phone and called Troy's phone.

...

Troy held a roll of toilet paper in one hand and his signed jersey in the other. He was having complete fun, joking around with the other team members while parents danced on the floor. Troy, Harvey, and a couple other guys decided that it would be funny to TP the entire outside of the building. So, Harvey bought tons of rolls of toilet paper, and they each were throwing rolls over the sides of the building and the trees. Troy's phone began to vibrate in his pocket.

He looked at his phone. "Harvey, I've gotta take this one. Gabi is home from her appointment."

He went to the edge of the dock before answering. Without Troy knowing, the guys followed him and hid behind a bush while Troy talked on the phone.

"Hey, how did it go?"

Gabriella sobbed over the phone. She was also crying.

He became concerned quickly. Walking around on the edge of the dock, he thought the phone was just scratchy. "Are you crying or is it just my phone?"

"There's nothing wrong with your phone, Troy." Gabriella began to cry a little harder.

He stopped in his tracks and listened closer. "Baby, what's going on?"

"Something went horribly wrong, Troy... "

"Tell me!"

She tried to calm herself down to tell him.

"There's two things wrong."

"What is it?"

"The first thing involved finding out if it was a boy or girl, and even though I didn't want to know, I know now."

Troy grinned. "How is this bad?"

"It's worse than you think it is?"

"What? Is it a girl? Is that the bad news?"

"No. It's a boy. You got your little boy. And no, that's not the bad news."

Troy just about dropped his phone.

"Oh my god, are you fucking serious?" Troy just about rocketed out of his shoes. "I told you it would be a boy! I told you and you insisted that it would be a girl!"

"Please just listen... " She sighed. "Between the head and the neck of his you know what, it's ripped a little, but it can be fixed with minor surgery."

"Well Gabriella, that's not so bad. Don't make it out like it's horrible, baby."

"That's not the bad part."

Troy listened a little closer. "Then what's wrong?"

Gabriella began to cry again.

"Baby, tell me... "

She couldn't speak. She sobbed hard and cried hysterically.

"You're really beginning to scare me. Calm down and just say it."

She gulped and tried to contain herself once again. "He has a little bubble on his back. That little bubble could grow and cover his entire back by the time he's born, or it could stay the same size. The bubble is about the size of a dime, so it isn't really a huge problem right now... But if it does grow, he might not ever walk, he could end up with scoliosis, or he could have ruptured disks... Either that, or he could die... "

Troy shook his head. "But... He was just fine a couple weeks ago... "

Gabriella sobbed hard and said a couple words. "I'm so sorry Troy... "

Troy's eyes watered. "Our baby has Spina Bifida?" He began to pace. "Oh my god Gabriella, this can't be right... "

"The midwife confirmed it." She hicupped and tried to spit out a couple more words. "I need you... I need you now, Troy, now... "

"I'll be right there baby girl, just hang in there... I love you so much Gabi."

"I love you too... " She cried harder.

"You stay right where you are." He hung up and began to run towards his truck.

His friends stopped him and began to throw a miniature party for him. He dug through them and raced to his truck.

"Troy, what the hell is going on?" Harvey ran after him.

"I've gotta go... Tell coach I'm sorry and tell my parents not to worry and to go home when the banquet is done."

And he was off to save his girl.


	18. End, Or Beginning?

June 4th, 2008: 5:13 PM

Troy drove quicker than he had ever driven before. Before he could even get out of the school zone, his parents called him. He sighed and put his phone on speaker, setting it between his legs.

"I'm so sorry, I really can't talk right now."

"You haven't even accepted your awards yet! Why did you leave so quickly?" His mother was kind of disappointed.

"Gabriella really needs me. I'll explain later. Mom, I really have to go."

Kay looked at Jack worridly.

"Did she go into labor too early?"

"No! Please mom, just take my awards and everything else home with you! I have to go!"

"Then what is wrong?"

"I have to go like right now before I get pulled over for talking on my phone while driving! Bye! "

"But Troy- "

He pressed end and threw his phone on the seat beside him. He ran his fingers through his hair, stopped at a traffic light, and set his forehead on the steering wheel. He beeped the horn on accident, and almost jumped out of his seat.

Kay became very worried.

"Jack, he wouldn't tell me what's wrong... " She hugged Jack tightly. "I hope everything is okay."

"I'm positive that everything's okay, maybe she's just a little freaked out and wants him there with her."

"He seemed really tense and worried about her. Troy doesn't get like that easily."

"Let's just sit here for the award ceremony and get his things. We'll stop by the Pediatric Consultant on the way home, okay?"

...

Troy pulled into the parking lot.

He almost hit the cars beside him.

Shaking, he turned the car off, pulled the keys out and shoved them in his pocket. He leaned against the steering wheel for a couple seconds, trying to calm down a little. Once he finally got the strength, he opened the door and locked the car behind him.

He entered the building, going down a couple corridors before finally finding Gabriella's midwife's lot number. He opened the door and rushed the the desk.

"I need to know which room Gabriella Montez is in."

"She's in the third room on the right. It's right down that hallway." The lady pointed down a hallway to Troy's right.

"Thank you so much." He pivoted on his heel and began to rush down the hallway.

He bursted through the room.

Gabriella and her mother both looked at him.

"TROY!" Gabriella let go of her mom and held her arms out. Troy filled them quickly, holding her tightly.

She cried hard into his chest.

"I-m so s-sorr-y... " She was sobbing very hard.

"It's not your fault Brie... " He shushed her and stroked her hair with one of his hands. She snuggled into him, feeling the warmth and comfort of his body. He kissed the top of her head repeatedly and soothingly, whispering comforting words into her ear and trying to get her to calm down a little so that he could talk to her.

She didn't calm down for a good twenty minutes.

When she was finally able to talk, she spit out a couple small words.

"Y-ou got y-our boy... " She cracked a smile from the corner of her mouth, shaking hard and uncontrollably.

Troy grabbed one of her hands and kissed it. "And I'm thankful that you gave me a son."

Gabriella shook her head. "Y-ou helped... "

He chuckled. "You did the most part. You've carried him this entire time, you've fed him, given him love... "

Gabriella handed him the ultrasound pictures with a slight smile.

"Are these pictures of him?" He looked at the first picture.

She nodded.

The midwife knocked on the door and walked into the room.

"Gabriella, the specialist will be here in around a half hour. In the mean time, we can do some more ultrasound pictures, or we could scan 3D pictures since you know that it's a boy."

Troy looked at Gabriella. "Can we do 3D pictures? Please?"

She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "I don't care... "

Troy grinned. "Thank you thank you thank you!" He grabbed her hand and kissed it. "Thank you so much baby!"

Troy pulled a chair up beside her. He watched the monitor closely.

"I'm glad you're excited about this, because I'm not." She turned her head away. "I don't want to know what he looks like until he's born."

She layed down on the table again and pulled her shirt up.

Troy grabbed one of her hands. "I love you Brie."

"I love you too, sometimes."

"Thanks a lot." He rolled his eyes.

She looked over at him and smiled. "I love you so much Troy."

"Thank you." He kissed her lips, but quickly turned back to the monitor.

She really didn't want to see their baby. She wanted to wait.

Troy grinned when he saw the picture come up on the screen. He looked at Gabriella. She wasn't looking at the screen.

Fascinated, he stared at their baby's face. "Gabriella, he looks just like you!"

"Really?" She quickly looked towards the screen. Fuming, she smacked Troy's arm hard. "You asshole! He looks just like you!" She folded her arms.

Troy was laughing. "I had to get you to look somehow!"

"Troy, I just... " She sighed. "I'm really upset right now. I just got done crying for almost twenty minutes, and my back hurts really bad."

He kissed her hand. "I'm sorry. You don't have to look if you don't want to."

"No, now I have to look because you ruined it."

"I'm sorry!"

"It's fine."

She stared at the screen, along with Troy.

"He has your nose, your lips, your eyes, your cheeks, your face structure, your fingers, everything! He doesn't have anything that's mine!" Gabriella sighed.

"That means Troy has stronger genes than you do."

"I thought the philipino gene was stronger than american genes."

"Looks like it wore off, because the baby has a little bit of blond hair too, if you can tell."

"How can you tell?" She asked quietly.

"The hair is transparent. If he had brown hair or even dark blonde hair, you wouldn't see through it."

"But I was born with blonde hair."

"Well, all I know is that he has blonde hair." The midwife laughed.

She turned the picture to the baby's back.

"See, there's the Spina Bifida... " She pointed to a spot on the middle of his back. Like she said, it was about the size of a dime. It was kind of dark-blue, but every time the baby moved, the bubble would move back and forth.

"Let's all just pray that it doesn't get any bigger." The midwife moved around a little. She smiled. "So, daddy, what do you think this is?"

Troy knew immediatly. He started laughing.

"Atleast I know my son is 110% boy."

She pointed. "That's the tear that I was talking about. It can be fixed with some minor surgery. The only thing we have to worry about is how big the Spina Bifida bubble with get."

She printed out a couple pictures, made copies, and handed the originals to Troy and Gabriella. "All you have to do now is wait for the Spina Bifida specialist to come. When he comes, he will dicuss some options you guys have and how to prepare yourselves if this little boy survives, okay?"

Gabriella nodded and sat up, pulling her shirt down.

The end was nowhere near.


	19. Raging Pains

June 4th, 2008: 6:30 PM

Troy went home to explain to his parents what was going on.

Maria escorted Gabriella into their house, explaining that her dad had set up her bed in the basement. As they entered the house, Vincente` grabbed Gabriella's things, grabbed Gabriella's arm, and helped her down the six steps leading to her bedroom. Gabriella didn't say a word the entire time.

Her dad had her blinds drawn shut and her blankets folded back and waiting for her. He helped her onto the bed and covered her up.

"Move me over... " She said quietly.

Her dad shoveled his arms under her and groaned. "God Gabriella, did you gain 40 pounds?"

"I gained ten... " She spoke softly.

He moved Gabriella towards the middle of the bed, where she pressed her head into the pillow. She began to cry helplessly.

"It hurts so bad... " She complained and arched her back in pain.

"I know sweetheart, I know." Vincente` kissed her forehead.

"I can't take it any more... It's killing me." Gabriella moaned.

"The midwife said that it's normal for you to have back pain."

"But it hurts so bad daddy, it hurts so damn much... "

Vin's heart melted for that word. Daddy.

"I'm so sorry Gabriella, but I can't do anything about it. You can't have any medicine because of the baby."

"Tylenol? Motrin? Advil?"

"The midwife doesn't want to take any chances now that she has found problems with him."

Gabriella rolled on her back and cried even more helplessly. Her back felt like someone had crushed it and tried to rearrange it, and it was on the verge of falling apart again. She wanted it to stop immediatly.

"Bring Coltie in here... "

Her dad nodded and walked into her den, then into the dog room. He opened the door, allowing Leaf to run out, and then unlocked Colt from his cage. Colt pushed Vincente` to the wall and began to lick his face. But Vincente` pushed him down and began to scold him.

"Colt! Stop it, you stupid ass dog!" He pushed him out of the way with his foot. Colt yelped and shyed away.

"Don't treat my baby like that!" Gabriella yelled from the other room.

Henry also got up lazily from his bed to see what was going on. He wandered into Gabriella's room, where Leaf was, and tried to jump on the bed, but failed hopelessly. He climbed the couch at the end of the bed and finally got onto her bed, where he sniffed Gabriella's face and wagged his stubby tail.

"Hi Henry boy... " Gabriella stroked his head and sniffled, kissing the tip of his nose. "Did you come to see what was wrong?"

Henry grunted and sneezed in Gabriella's face, then rudely plopped on Gabriella's legs. She pushed him off and then stroked his head with her leg. Leaf was the second one to jump on the bed after sniffing the things that Gabriella brought home with her that were brand-new from the clinic. She happily wagged her squirrelly tail and rolled over for Gabriella to pet her belly. Gabriella snuggled with her for a couple minutes until her dad calmed Griphyn down enough to go see Gabriella. Leaf then rested calmly at Gabriella's backside.

Colt barked loudly as he saw Gabriella. Surprisingly, he didn't bail onto Gabriella's bed and lick her to death. As Vincente` let him go, he walked slowly over to her bedside and set his head on the edge of the bed. Gabriella stroked him gently while he waited patiently to be rewarded for his good bahavior.

"Hi my stud... " She smiled a little through her tears. "You're my first baby, aren't you Coltie?"

Colt whined a little.

"I'm in a lot of pain right now Coltie, but I think you know that already, don't you?"

He set his paw on the bed. Gabriella moved over a little, pushing Leaf out of the way. Leaf climbed above Gabriella and rested on her pillow. She then patted the bed beside her.

"Come on Colt, get up here with me... " She sniffled once again.

He happily climbed onto the bed with her, circled a couple times, and layed his head on the pillow with his legs stretched out towards the end of the bed. She snuggled into his fur and cried while her dad sat outside of her den.

"I love you guys so much... You all mean so much to me... " She admired how Henry was guarding Gabriella at the end of the bed, how Leaf was licking her tears away, and how Colt was being a snuggly bear and soothing Gabriella's cries of pain.

But it didn't help much.

She sat and cried for a while, moaning and helplessly crying from the back pains that were just to horrible to bear. Even worse, the pain got worse. Every time she had a spasm, she would yelp or jump, crying louder and harder. Nothing helped. Her dad tried giving her a back rub, but it made the pain worse. He suggested taking a warm bath or a shower, and she didn't want to try because she just took a shower before she went to the midwife's. Vincente` helped her take off all of her makeup, her mother helped her into her pajama's, and they took some blankets off of the bed, but it didn't help. They tried turning the air conditioner down to 55 degrees in her room, and warmed her up with hot tea and a heating pad, but that didn't help either.

Nothing helpled.

Finally, at about 7:15, just before the sun began to set, Vincente` called Troy from outside her bedroom.

"Hello?" Vincente` said.

"Is everything okay?" Troy immediatly said.

"Gabriella is in dire pain, Troy. When Maria began to drive her home, Gabriella just suddenly screamed and started complaining of back pain. It stopped when she pulled into the driveway, and she had enough strength to walk down to her bedroom and get in bed, but now she's getting horribly worse. Her back won't stop hurting and spasming. The midwife said that she can't have any medicine due to the fact that the baby has a life-threatening deformality, but she said to try turning the air conditioner down and giving her warm things, to put her in pajama's and help her relax a little, to try to rub her back, and a couple more things, but nothing is helping, and the back pains are getting worse every couple minutes."

He became worried very quickly. "Do you think that she's going into labor? Maybe she thinks it's back pain, but since she's never had a baby before, it could be labor pains."

Vincente` heard her screaming and crying from another spasm. Troy also heard it over the phone.

"Is she okay?"

"It's just another regular spasm... "

"Are you sure it's not labor pain?"

"Her water hasn't broken yet. We also called the midwife about a half hour ago, and she said that the signs that we described didn't match the signs of labor, other than extreme back pain. She just thinks that she's starting to get the back pains that most women experience." Vincente` sighed. "If she is going into labor, the hospital won't admit her until her water breaks. So we really can't do anything for her right now other than be there for her."

Troy walked downstairs and looked at his parents. "I'll be there in a couple minutes. Do you mind if I bring my parents with me?"

"Not at all. I'm going to warn you right now Troy, I have never seen my daughter cry like this in her entire life. Right now, she is crying desperately and hopelessly in her bed, no matter how hard we try to calm her down. She screams and yelps and moans when she gets spasms, and it is beginning to get worse. She is in very bad condition right now, and I know you'll get a little scared when you see her because she looks very sickly and hurt, but she isn't going to die. Gabriella is just in some extreme pain right now."

"I understand. Give me a couple minutes and I'll be down, okay?"

"Alright. Thank you so much, Troy."

"No problem."

Troy hung up and sighed, staring at the screen.

"Who was that, Troy?" Kay walked closely to him.

"It was Mr. Montez." Troy sighed.

"Is something wrong with Gabriella?" Jack became a little worried.

"Earlier today, while she was at the midwife's, I heard that she kept complaining of back pain before the ultrasound and before I came. When they got in the car, her back started hurting really badly, and now it's getting worse. She's in bed screaming and crying from the back spasms. He just called me to let me know what was going on, but I'm gonna go and see if I can get her to calm down a little. I told him I would bring you guys, because she needs a little encouragement with what's going on with the baby also."

Kay looked at Jack. "Should we go?"

"I think that she needs to know a little more about Helena." Kay looked at Troy.

Troy shook his head. "No mom, please don't tell her more about Helena, because she's just going to get even more hopeless and upset about it."

"Troy, she needs to prepare herself, and even though the specialists can tell her what to do, there's no better advice than having someone who has lived it describe the disease better."

He shook his head. "Not right now. She's not ready."

"But we're still going, aren't we Jack?" She smacked Jack's ribs.

"What?"

"We're going with him to see Gabriella, right Jack?"

"Oh yeah, sure, fine, let's get going."

Troy started up the stairs. "I think if Mr. Montez will let me stay, I'm going to stay with her for a couple nights, if it's okay."

"That's fine Troy, just make sure she's still on birth control, kid." Jack smiled.

Troy peered from the top of the steps down to look at his dad. "Oh my god, are you that stupid? I can't get Gabriella pregnant again while she's already pregnant, and it's not like I'm going to have sex with her while she's pregnant!"

"Oh, I forgot again." Jack said stupidly. Kay kicked him in the butt and shook her head. "I think this will be Troy's first and last kid, so don't get your hopes up for a granddaughter like I had my hopes up for. You be happy you got a grandson."

They both grinned and laughed together.


	20. To The Screaming Point Of Pain

June 4th, 2008: 7:26 PM

Gabriella screeched at the top of her lungs and gripped the bedsheets. Tears flew down her cheeks like rain. Pain ripped through her spine like a chainsaw cutting meat. She didn't care who heard her or who complained about her screaming. All she wanted was to be out of pain.

She buried her head into Colt's dense coat, clutching his coat and squeezing it between her fingers. He nudged her hand, and she quickly let go of his fur and apoligized to him. He gladly licked her wet face and wagged his tail.

Leaf was as antsy as always. Every time Gabriella started to scream or cry loudly, she would get up and trot around the room, whimpering and crying, and when Gabriella was done, she would jump back on the bed and snuggle next to Gabriella somewhere.

Henry was surprisingly guarding Gabriella at the end of the bed. Every time the door cracked open, he would growl and stand up. The hair on his back would stand on end and he lowered his head. But when he saw who it was, he layed back down and kept alert.

She felt surrounded by love, but love wasn't helping her back.

She cried hard into her pillow. It wasn't a normal cry that she was crying.

It was just a cry of...Helplessness...

She could hear talking outside the door.

Another spasm hit.

And it hit hard.

"OH GOD NO, PLEASE STOP IT! STOP IT NOW!" She screamed.

As the pain slipped into full gear, she began to curse at nothing in peticular. "GOD DAMN IT! STOP THIS FUCKING HORROR!"

It hit so hard that she could hear her own heartbeat in her head and could feel it on her back.

Troy, his parents, and Vincente` were standing outside of her den.

"Are you sure she's okay?" Troy said worridly.

Vincente` frowned and opened the den door. "I don't know if she's okay, but she'll get through it somehow. My lord, let's hope she gets through it somehow."

"Mom, dad, stay out here for a couple minutes. Let me try to get her calm so that she isn't screaming and crying while you guys talk to her." Troy gripped his mother's hand and smiled a little. "I think she just needs a little bit of Troy Bolton magic."

"The last time you used Troy Bolton magic on Gabriella, she got pregnant." Jack patted Troy on the back. "Don't use too much magic Troy."

"Shut up, dad. You have been no help to me today." Troy grinned.

Vincente` opened the door to the den and shut it behind Troy. "Good luck!" He said through the door.

Troy sighed, then made the journey to her room, which was about a good twelve steps from the other door.

"Gabriella?" He said softly as he walked in the door. He shut it behind him.

"It hurts so bad... " She said helplessly. "The pain just won't go away... "

"I know you're in a lot of pain, baby girl." He moved to the other side of the bed and pulled the blankets down. "I know you're very self-conscious about yourself, and you don't like people seeing anything on you, but baby, you have to make sure that you're not about to go into labor."

"You want me to stick my fingers up my- "

"If you won't do it, I'll do it."

Gabriella cried a little harder.

"I don't want to! My back hurts so bad!"

Troy stroked her hair and ran his finger along her cheek. "You know that I would never hurt you, don't you?"

She nodded a little. He took her hand in his and kissed it.

"I need to know if I have to call the midwife and the hospital."

Gabriella rolled on her side and cried harder. "Just get it over with... "

Troy rushed into her bathroom, washed his hands, and rushed back out.

"If you don't feel comfortable with me doing this, then just tell me now."

"I'd rather have you do it than my mom or my dad, or even a doctor that I don't know." She rolled back on her back and pulled the blankets up a little. "Be as gentle as you can... Any sudden movements might make my back go waywire... "

She began to wince a little.

"Oh god, it's starting again... "

He held her knees and waited patiently for the spasm to pass. He remembered to lock the door and quickly rushed back to it, locking it. "Are you okay now?"

She nodded with tears flowing down her cheeks. "Just get it over with... "

Troy tried to relax as much as he could, but pressure was on. He pulled off her pajama bottoms and set them aside, then did the same with her underwear. He suddenly felt a little bit excited, but he calmed down because he knew that he wasn't getting anything from her for the next couple months.

"Do you still want me to do this?"

Gabriella grabbed a pillow and screamed into it, crying hysterically. "Just do it!"

He felt horrible, but still continued on.

A volt of excruciating pain climbed up her spine. "DAMN IT!" She scared Colt and Henry off of the bed. Leaf yelped and ran to the corner of the room. "I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!" She screamed.

Troy pulled his hand away from her and ran to the bathroom, washing his entire hand off really good.

"Well, let's just say that you aren't anywhere near labor."

"It's too early anyway, Troy!"

He sighed. "I know, I know. I just wanted to make sure."

Gabriella shook her head and rolled on her side. "I can't take this anymore... It just hurts too much... "

Troy unlocked the door and crawled in her bed with her. "Nobody can do anything about it, baby. I'm sorry... "

She cried harder into her pillow. "Can you rub my back a little?"

"Where does it hurt?"

"All up and down my backbone... "

Troy gently worked his way up and down the middle of her back with the palm of his hand. He heard her cry harder.

"Is it helping?" He kissed the back of her head.

"No... "

And then, his mom and dad walked into the room. Troy and Gabriella were huddled together, Troy rubbing her spine with his left hand, and his right arm held her close. Her body was sprawled out on the bed, but she hid her face in a pillow, where she cried in excruciating pain.

"How is everything?" Kay said as she set Troy's things beside the bed. She grabbed one of Gabriella's hands and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Not good." Troy answered for her.

Jack stood beside her. "Just hang in there Gabriella, it isn't going to last forever.

Kay moved Gabriella's hair from her face. "How's the baby?"

"Fine." She tried to lie, although she didn't feel like dancing around the truth. He wasn't fine. He had Spina Bifida and might die by the time he's born.

Troy sat up and sighed. "Mom, dad, this really isn't the time to talk to her about that. Maybe another day?"

Kay nodded respectfully. "I understand."

Gabriella's back spasmed again. She cried helplessly into her pillow and waited for the bolts of pain to come after.

"Troy... " She sobbed and began to shake.

He grabbed her hand quickly. "I'm right here Brie... I'm always right here... " Troy kissed her hand and held it in both hands. He looked up at his parents without a pinch of hope. "I think I might call the midwife myself. This is ridiculous that she can't take anything for pain."

Gabriella screamed into her pillow. She cried even harder, feeling every bolt of pain run up and down her spine. She got the full-force of it, too.

"Is she okay?" Kay began to stroke Gabriella's head, becoming a little worried.

"It... Just hurts... So bad... " She got out before another scream came from her mouth.

"I'm calling the midwife right now." He grabbed his phone out of his pocket and began to call the midwife.

Gabriella rolled on her back and moved her hair out of her face. "I want it to go away!" She cried. "Make it go away!"

Kay looked blankly at Jack

"I'm only fifteen, I'm six months pregnant, and now I'm in horrible misery... " She kicked Troy with the rest of the strength you had. "YOU ASS! You're the one who got me pregnant and started this entire mess!"

Troy raised an eyebrow. "Who was the one who made the promise to her friends to get pregnant? Huh?"

"This sucks!" She yelled and hid her head in the pillow again.

Kay stood up and sighed. "If the midwife says that she can't have anything, then I'm going to take her to the hospital."

Troy got up and walked out of the room, talking to the midwife on the phone. Kay and Jack both tried to calm her down a little.

"Do you need to go to the bathroom?" Kay asked.

Gabriella shook her head.

"Are you hungry?" Jack held one of her hands.

"I'm not hungry."

"I think you need to eat sweetheart. I'll go tell your mom to make you something to eat." Kay began to walk towards the door.

"I'm not hungry... " She repeated.

"The baby needs to eat. You can't starve your baby."

She rolled on her right side and sobbed. "Why is this happening?" She felt another pain shoot up her spine. She jumped up, but quickly calmed down.

"This is what happens when you're pregnant, Gabriella. These are the things your parents try to protect you from. Being pregnant to men seems like an easy job, but when Kay got pregnant with Troy, all she did was whine and moan and complain about how her feet hurt and her back and how hungry she was. When she had Troy, she said it was the worst pain she had ever experienced in her entire life. But when she got pregnant with Helena six years later, she got three urinary-tract infections, had a staph infection, and experienced a lot of scary contractions that kept making us think that she was in labor, but she actually wasn't. Every person is different."

"Obviously." Gabriella rolled on her back again and wiped some sweat off her head. "Could you do me a favor and turn down the air conditioner a little more? Turn it to around 60... The cool air calms me down a little, although it doesn't stop the pain... "

Jack did as he was told.

Troy came back into the room with a smile on his face.

"I convinced her to give you something for your pain. I'm going to drive you down there, but you have to eat first. The medication she's going to give you could make you sick.

Gabriella moaned and shook her head. "I'm not hungry!"

"If you want to get out of pain, you have to eat baby... " He stroked her hair and pecked her lips. She looked up at him with puppy dog eyes, tears dripping continuously down her cheeks.

"I know it hurts." He squated down beside her bed. He kissed the tip of her nose. "You need to eat. If you don't, you'll be in pain for the rest of the night."

She cried a little harder as she saw a plate of food being carried by her mother. Kay and Vincente` followed close behind.

"I made you a ham and cheese sandwich with some water." Maria smiled and set the plate on the edge of the bed.

Everyone watched closely as Gabriella took her first bite. She complained, and swallowed. She repeated the action.

She suddenly dropped the sandwich on the plate.

Grabbing a pillow, Gabriella shoved her face into it. She cried in extreme pain as Troy slid the plate away from her. He rubbed her shoulders soothingly.

When the spasm passed, she shoved every last bit of the sandwich into her mouth. And another came.

She put her shoes on slowly, then grabbed her purse and put her hair into a ponytail.

Troy helped her stand up. She wobbled on her feet and fell on the bed.

"Do you want me to carry you?"

She nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her body was lifted, and the last thing she remembered was hearing Colt's whine.


	21. Last Day Of Being Kids

July 26th, 2008: 6:28 AM

The Spina Bifida did get bigger. It was about the size of a half-dollar. Still, that little half dollar was deadly.

She was now eight months pregnant.

And not too much bigger than when she was around six months.

She got up from her bed and stretched, but rushed to the bathroom and vomited in the toilet.

She took a shower after that, brushed her teeth, made her bed, and let her dogs out. She sat outside in the backyard with them, watching them roam around and play. After two minutes of play, Henry plopped down on the cement and began to pant heavily.

Colt and Leaf played like crazy, though. They both ran through the sprinklers and took a big drink of the pool water when they both jumped in simultaneously. She wished that she could be at the local pool, jumping in simultaneously with her friends, like the dogs, and swimming around playing weird games. She could if she really wanted to, but she didn't feel like it because she had just gotten over another back spasm last night.

Gabriella got her phone out while watching the dogs and texted Troy.

"Are you up?"

She set her phone on the deck and ran her fingers through her wet hair. Henry jumped up and walked away from her when her phone buzzed.

"Been up all night."

"What's wrong?" She texted back. She set it back on the deck and waited impatiently.

It buzzed and Henry started barking at it.

"Shut up fat ass." Gabriella razzled his fur and picked her phone up.

"Just thinking about you and the baby. You feeling better today?"

"The spasms went away again. I feel much better."

She stared back at the pool, watching Leaf and Colt get out and shake together. She smiled.

"Leafy! Coltie!"

Colt was the first to bolt out of pool gate. He ran towards Gabriella full speed, then stopped right in front of her, wagging his tail.

"It's not that hot!" She smiled and dried him off with a towel. As Leaf came, she also dried her off.

"Stay out of the pool you guys!"

Her phone buzzed again.

"I can see you."

She raised an eyebrow.

"How?"

She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Because I went through the front gate and took the back trail to the backyard, and now I'm looking at you."

She turned around and laughed. "You're slick.

Troy bent over and kissed her forehead. "Aren't I?"

They both stared at the pool. Against Gabriella's words, the dogs jumped in the pool and were swimming around. It was tempting.

Troy shoved his hands in his shorts pockets, thinking hard for a couple minutes. He looked at Henry, then at the pool. He then picked Henry up like he was a feather and began to go towards the pool. "Come here, Gabi." He looked back.

She ran towards the pool with Troy in tow, opened the gate for him, and locked it behind her. Henry knew his fate.

Gabriella looked around. "Here. Use my little cousins' floaties." She grabbed four floaties and strapped them on Henry. Then, she put a life jacket on him.

"Ready?" Troy picked Henry up. He offered her his front legs, and she gladly took them. She kissed Henry's head, laughing as his eyes bulged out of his head.

"On the count of three... " Troy was laughing hysterically, along with Gabriella. They began to swing him back and forth. "One... Two... Three!"

Gabriella and Troy let go of Henry's legs, watching him do a belly-flop into the water. He snorted as he came up and doggie swam in place.

Troy set his phone on the table about 10 feet away from the pool. He began to take his shirt off.

"What are you doing?" Gabriella laughed.

"These dogs are tempting me! I'm getting in, with or without doggie hair!" He ran to the diving board, where he sprinted to the end and curled up, doing a cannonball into the water. Gabriella got soaked.

"Troy!" Gabriella took her phone out of her pocket and set it on the table. "You asshole!" She was laughing.

He spit water out of his mouth like a fountain and treaded water. "Get in!"

"No!"

"Then just put your feet in!" He grabbed her legs. "I won't pull you in, I promise!"

She put her feet in the water, splashed around a little, then admired the water. "It's so warm!"

"Isn't it?" He helped Colt onto the diving board. "Just get in!"

"I don't feel like swimming around."

He called Colt, and Colt happily jumped off of the diving board and did a nose dive into the water. He came up smiling and panting happily.

She splashed water towards him, and he came up to her and grabbed her legs. "Don't splash me, or I'll pull you in!"

She quickly stopped. As he backed away, she kicked water and hit him hard in the face.

"Oh my god, are you okay?"

Troy held his nose and came back up to her. "I don't know... "

"Let me see." She pulled his hand away. Quickly, he got his hand out from hers and pulled her legs, dunking her into the water. He pulled her up, treading water in the middle of the pool.

As she came up, she spit water and pushed her hair back. "TROY!"

He was laughing hard. "You looked like you needed a little dunk!"

"I didn't!" She tried to swim to the edge, but Troy held her tight under her arms. She looked confused at him.

"Just swim with me for a while. Please?"

"I can't swim! I've put on thirteen pounds since I got pregnant, and it weighs me down every time I get in the pool!"

He helped her to the side of the pool, then pushed her to get her onto the deck. She didn't look happy.

"I'm sorry baby, I didn't know you couldn't swim... "

"Sure you didn't." She sighed and went to the shower in the corner. She washed the chlorine and chemical off of her body before walking into the shed. She found some clothes, put them on, and came back out, where she grabbed her phone.

"I'm sorry... " He pulled himself out of the pool and shook his hair off. He grabbed a towel, his shirt, and his phone.

"I'm going to go take a real shower, AGAIN. Spray the chlorine off the dogs and dry them, will you?"

"Alright baby." He grabbed the hose, called the dogs out of the pool one by one, and sprayed them down.

Gabriella stepped in the shower, washed her hair and body from head to toe, then got out. She felt a suddenly pain rush up from between her legs to the top of her stomach.

It went away after about fifteen seconds.

She went into her den and plopped down on her couch. Troy came in about three minutes later.

"Are you feeling alright?" He walked over to her and touched her head.

"The chlorine fumes... They gave me a little headache and made my stomach hurt a little. I'll be fine, though."

So she thought.


	22. Three Hour Wait

July 27th, 2008: 8:57 PM

Gabriella's worst nightmare came alive.

The midwife told her to watch out for any blood discharge. Well, she didn't just have "discharge".

Since Gabriella's parents were visiting their parents, Gabriella was left alone in the house. Troy came to stay with her.

As she got dressed to go to bed, Gabriella got an extremely bad cramp and almost buckled over on the floor. She sat on the toilet to try to get it to go away. As the pain receeded, she tried to pee. When she got up to flush the toilet, she was mortified by the blood in the toilet. She screeched at the top of her lungs.

"TROY!" She backed away and screamed again.

He rushed into the bathroom.

"What's going on?" Troy grabbed Gabriella in her arms.

"T-he t-toi-let... " She pointed.

"Oh god Gabriella, this isn't good, baby... " He flushed the toilet for her and pushed her out of the bathroom. "We're going to the hospital.

"I j-just p-ee-d b-bl-ood... " Gabriella spit out and hid her face in Troy's chest.

...

Troy called the staff early to let them know about Gabriella. They had a room ready for her when she got there.

They wouldn't let anyone in the room. Troy nervously jiggled his leg outside.

"Gabriella, we need to do an ultrasound and swab out any blood left over to test it." One nurse grabbed the stylus and the other called for a sterile swab.

She became worried as she looked at the monitor. She could hear the baby's heartbeat and sighed in relief. But that wasn't the end of the road.

As one of the female nurses sent the swab to be tested, she called another nurse over.

"Well, that's unexpected... "

The nurse beside her talked on her radio. "We need a DW room ready as soon as possible."

"DW room? What's a DW room?" She sat up a little and put her pants on. The nurse stopped her.

"You won't need these." She set them on a cart.

"What's going on? Tell me what's wrong!"

"Nothing's wrong Gabriella." The nurse put a blanket over Gabriella. "You're in labor. You're going to the Delivery Ward, or as we call it, DW."

Her eyes got huge. She sat up completely. "There's no way! I'm only eight months!"

"It's very true. You're almost fully dialated and ready to have your baby anytime now."

They lead her out the door behind the room and into an elevator on the bed. She demanded answers.

"How the hell did I go into labor? My water didn't even break yet!"

"It's been broken for a while now. You must have been submerged in water when it happened."

She thought about the pool and about how she didn't tell Troy about when she felt like she peed in the pool. Obviously, that was when it broke.

"Oh god, my mom and dad... They're in Florida, seeing my grandparents, and Troy's mom and dad are in California, seeing his grandparents... "

"We sent a nurse to tell Troy. He'll be up here. We've also got a surgeon on staff, because we pulled your records up and we saw that your baby has Spina Bifida and a defect."

She freaked out, although she was in no pain at all. She wasn't going to have her baby without her parents waiting for her. She became extremely scared, more scared than she had ever been.

"How could this happen... " She cried in her hands. "It's too soon... "

...

Troy jumped up when he heard someone call his name.

"Is she okay?" He automatically said. He zeroed in on one nurse.

"Family member of Gabriella Montez?"

"I'm her boyfriend."

The nurse smiled a little. "The nurses in her room noticed something weird when they were swabbing some left over blood. They figured out that she was almost fully dialated. So right now, she's being rushed to the delivery ward. I told them I'd send you up as quick as possible."

"She's in labor? Already?" He shook his head. "That can't be right. She's only eight months pregnant... "

"Gabriella must have went into labor early. This is typical for teenage pregnancies."

"Oh god... " Troy wiped his forehead, which was beading with sweat. "What floor?"

"Floor five."

"Thank you... " He ran to the elevator and pushed the button rapidly. Finally, the elevator pulled open, and he automatically pressed floor five. He pushed the button that closed the doors, and zoomed up the floors.

As he approached the desk, he was breathing hard and shaking. "Gabriella Montez."

"Relation?"

"I'm her boyfriend."

The nurse scanned through her computer. "135 down that hallway." She pointed to the left."

"Thanks." He ran full speed down the hallway, turned a right corner, and followed the rooms until he found 135.

He followed a nurse in the room.

"Gabriella?" He pulled a curtain open and saw her. He ran to her. "Oh my god Gabriella... " He grabbed one of her hands and kissed her forehead. "You're in labor?"

She nodded slowly with tears running down her face.

"Don't cry baby, try to calm down. I know you're scared... And I'm starting to get scared too." He grabbed his phone. "I'm going to call my mom and dad and tell them to call your mom and dad."

Troy paced back and forth.

"Stop pacing, please... You look more nervous than I am." She laughed nevously.

"I'm sorry... This is just such a huge shock... " His dad answered. "Dad!"

"Troy?"

"Oh my god, thank you for picking up the phone... "

"What's wrong?" Kay came close to the phone, listening.

"Gabriella was getting ready for bed, and she peed about a gallon of blood into the toilet. I took her to the hospital, and they found out that she was in labor."

Kay jumped up happily. "Really?"

Jack held the phone tighter to his ear. "We'll take tommorow's flight back to be there for the birth."

"You might have to leave now and take a minute's flight, because she's almost fully dialated and ready to have the baby."

Jack became a little angry. "Why didn't you tell us when she first went into labor?"

"Because we've only been at the hospital ten minutes! I just found out about two minutes ago! Listen dad, I can't talk too much longer. Gabriella doesn't have her phone, and I don't have Maria and Vin's number. Can you call them and tell them what's going on?"

"I'll do anything it takes, Troy. Just tell Gabriella that Kay and I love her and we wish her luck."

"Will do dad. Thank you."

He hung up and turned his phone off, shoving it into his pocket.

"My dad's going to call your mom and dad and tell them what's going on." He stroked her hair and rested his chin on her head.

"Troy, I'm so scared... I'm only fifteen, and I'm in a room and about to have a baby... "

"I know Gabi, I know... Let's just try to keep as calm as possible, okay? We'll get through this together. I won't leave your side."

He grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly. She looked up at him with pure fear in her eyes.

Tears rolled down her cheeks. "I don't want to have this baby... I'm not ready... "

"Shh, calm down... " He knelt down beside her and moved some hair from her face. "Just think. Before you know it, we'll be holding our son and everyone's going to be here, surrounding us and supporting us. You won't regret it baby girl."

"But- "

"Stop talking about it. No more."

Her body shook harder and she turned around to see what was going on. Her eyes got wide as she saw a surgeon standing at a table about 20 feet in front of her, waiting to wheel their baby off. There was her midwife, waiting towards the right of her, and the doctor with his nurses. All of them had rubbed gloves on and masks over their face.

The doctor walked over to Gabriella. "I see you're over here worrying, Gabriella. Don't be too worried. I know you're only fifteen and you're very scared for yourself and your baby, but there's a very big chance that your baby will come out, get his two surgeries done, and live a normal life. I think you'll be fine too."

"I'm just so scared... "

The doctor nodded. "Just remember that my staff and I are trained professionals at this. We do this every day, and we haven't lost a baby yet in my ten years of doing this. I've also had worse Spina Bifida cases than what was described. So don't worry. I won't lie to you when I tell you that around 95% of people experience the worst pain of their lives, but since you haven't had any contractions or pains, I think you'll pull through without any pain. If you feel any back pain, just tell us and we have an epidural waiting for you." The doctor patted her shoulder and smiled. "Are you ready?"

"No... " Gabriella sobbed. "But I guess it has to be done."

The doctor rubbed her shoulder a little. "Oh, and if it's too hard for you to push the baby out, and we see that you can't do it, the surgeon is prepared to do a cessarian section. But I don't think you'll need it." He gave her a last smile. "Good luck, and don't be scared. We're going to start here shortly."

Gabriella's stomach began to turn. She looked up at Troy. "Oh god... "

"Don't worry, just remember what the doctor said." He watched as the doctor gave Troy the signal. "Just relax as much as you can. I'm right here." He kissed her forehead and then kissed her hand.

...

She didn't hear her baby cry.

The surgeon immediatly cut the umbilical cord and wheeled him off to surgery.

"What's wrong with my baby?" She asked the doctor. "Why didn't he cry?"

He laughed. "Nothing. The baby is perfectly fine. We got the baby out of the room before it could even start crying. Surgery is going to start in about five minutes. Good job, Miss Montez. You did very good. And you'll be seeing your baby in about an hour."

Troy looked at the doctor seriously. "It was a boy, right?"

The doctor scratched his head. He laughed. "I... I can't recall that. The surgeon took the baby away before I could even look."

"I didn't even get to see the baby." Troy chuckled a little.

"I didn't get a good look at it either." The doctor smiled at them. "Congratulations, mom and dad." He turned and walked out of the room.

Gabriella was still panting, trying to catch her breath.

"See, it wasn't the same as Caitlin, was it? You didn't need any stitches because you didn't tear like she did."

Gabriella sat up and grinned. "That barely even hurt. The only time it hurt was when the doctor shoved his hand up there and helped him out."

The nurse came up to Gabriella and Troy with a camera.

"I know that you two didn't bring a camera, so I got my camera out and took some pictures for you." She handed Gabriella the camera.

Gabriella flipped through a couple pictures. She held one picture up to Troy. "Does that answer your question about a boy or girl?"

Troy looked at the picture and grinned.

"Well, now I know."

Gabriella handed the camera back to the nurse. "Could you print those out for us?"

"I sure will." The nurse immediatly ran to print the pictures.

Troy kissed Gabriella's lips and stared into her eyes.

"Now all we have to do it wait for him to come back."

And they waited. Not an hour, they waited three hours.


	23. More Than Perfect

July 28th, 2008: 12:23 AM

The doctor walked into the room quickly.

"Okay, I'm very sorry it took so long. The Spina Bifida defect was deeper than they expected it to be. And the defect was fused together, also."

Gabriella looked at the doctor worridly. "Is he alive?"

"He's alive. He's got a little bit of problems breathing, though. It's too early to tell if it's asthma or not, but he is being stabilized right now on a breathing treatment. When you take him home, you'll have to buy a dehumidifier."

"Will the Spina Bifida make him disabled?" Troy asked.

The doctor sighed. "Well, we can't make a certain decision on that, but based upon the evidence, I think he'll make a full recovery and live a normal life."

Gabriella and Troy both sighed in relief.

"But for now, you will have to be very gentle with him. If you happen to give him a bath, you need to make sure that the stitches on his back don't get wet, or else the would be infected, which isn't a good thing with Spina Bifida."

The doctor looked at the door, seeing it open quietly. "He's back already?"

"Surgeon Grant said that it was okay to take him back."

"Take him to room 342 on floor 6."

"Sure thing." The nurse turned around and shut the door.

"We're going to take you upstairs to your room." The doctor pulled a wheelchair up and helped her get in it.

...

Troy helped Gabriella onto her bed. He covered her up with a blankets and sat on a chair beside her. She had fallen asleep on the way up.

They wheeled the incubator in.

"Gabriella Montez?" The nurse read off of the baby's bracelet.

"That's her." Troy stood up. "She sleeping right now."

The nurse plugged the incubator in. "Since you didn't get to see the baby or know anything about the baby, I know that it's a boy, he's five pounds and one ounce, and 19 inches long. I can also tell where he gets his blue eyes from."

"How do you know he'll have blue eyes?" Troy grinned.

"There are some babies that we get that you can just tell when they're born that they'll have blue eyes. He'll be one of them."

"Is it okay to hold him because of his surgery?"

"It's perfectly fine. The spot on his back might be a little sore, but it shouldn't bother him much. Since you two are first time parents, one of the nurses has to go through some of the basic things of taking care of a baby, so he'll be back shortly. If you need any help or you have any questions in the mean time, just open the door and go to the desk. If you go to your left, walk down that hallway and turn left, there's a gourmet kitchen right across from the desk. So if you or Gabriella have a snack rush, you can go and get something to eat from there, okay?" She smiled. "Have fun and congratulations." She shut the door behind her.

Troy walked to the incubator slowly. He looked down in it, then back at Gabriella.

"You look a lot like your mom. I guess we were wrong."

Troy really wanted to hold him, but didn't want to hurt him. Temptation overrode his fear, and he gently grabbed the sides of the light blue blanket. He cradled his son in his left arm, staring down at him.

"I never imagined how it would feel to hold my son... My own son... " Troy stroked the blonde hair on his head.

Gabriella whined a little and opened her eyes. "Troy?" She said tiredly.

"I'm right here." He walked to her bedside. "Look who I've got for you." He smiled and sat in the chair.

Gabriella looked over. "Is that my baby?"

"Sure is. He's 19 inches long and five pounds, one ounce."

She rubbed her eyes a little and held her arms out. "You ass. You should have let me hold him first."

He chuckled. "I couldn't help myself." Troy gently placed him into Gabriella's arms. "Just be careful, okay?"

Gabriella sat up a little in bed and stared at her baby. A tear dripped from her face.

"Oh god Brie- "

"Shut up! I can't help it." She laughed a little and wiped her eye. "I just can't believe how much he doesn't look like you. I thought he would be a spitting image of you, but he looks... He looks a lot like me."

"Wait until he wakes up. The nurse said that his eyes are really really blue."

Gabriella petted his hair. "His hair lays the same way that yours does. It lays flat and straight."

"He's got my eye shape."

"And your nose and mouth. But the way his face is structured... It looks more like me."

Troy chuckled a little. "I know we just got him, but we have to name him something."

Gabriella looked at Troy. "Troy?"

"What baby?"

"No, I mean let's name him Troy."

"Nah, I don't like my name and never will."

"I love your name. It reminds me of my favorite country, which is Greece. My favorite city has and always will be Troy because I had a fascination with the word Trojan since I was little."

Troy shook his head. "Something else. Something other than Troy."

Gabriella thought for a couple minutes. She came up with a brilliant name.

"Griffin. How about Griffin? I love that name!"

Troy grinned. "I really like that name too."

"What about a middle name?"

Troy came up with one immediatly. "Harley."

Gabriella raised an eyebrow. "Harley?"

Troy chuckled a little. "That's what my mom and dad was going to name me. My dad insisted on naming his kids after motorcycles and choppers, but my mom wanted to name her kids after greek places and things. So, that's how they got Troy Alexander, because Troy was a city and Alexandria was a lighthouse, so they shortened it to Alexander. With my sister Helena, they got her name from an ancient prison that was named Helenah, and her middle name, Hera, was a greek god. So, why not name him Griffin Harley Bolton?"

Gabriella looked at their baby. She nodded.

"I got my name, you got your name. Griffin Harley Bolton it is."

"Good." Troy got his phone out and called his dad.

"Troy?"

"Hey dad."

"How's Gabriella? Is she still in labor?"

"She had the baby about three hours ago. He went into surgery and has the defect fuzed together, and the Spina Bifida was removed successfully. He has a good chance of full recovery and a normal life."

"That's awesome!" Jack looked at Kay and smiled. "So it is a boy?"

"Sure is. One hundred percent. He's five pounds, one ounce, and is 19 inches long."

"It sounds like Gabriella did great. The Bolton legacy lives on." Jack smiled.

"He's right here with us now. He's sleeping in Gabriella's arms. She hasn't let go of him since she got him."

"Take a picture and send it to us right now. All of you and the baby, and take one individual picture of the baby."

"Alright, hold on." He put his phone on speaker. "Say hi to Gabriella. I've got it on speaker."

"Hi sweetheart! How are you feeling?"

"I'm about to rocket off the planet." Gabriella laughed.

"Did you have a rough birth?"

"Didn't hurt one bit until the doctor put his hand up there to help the baby slide out."

"Really? I was expecting you out of everyone to hurt the worst because of your back."

"My back's a little sore right now, and it'll probably start spazing anytime soon, but I still have a shot of epidural waiting for me. They said I was allowed to have it, even after the birth, since my back hurt after the baby came out."

Troy held the phone up a little. "Okay dad, let me take a picture... "

"Alright, I'll shut up."

Troy pressed the camera app on his phone and waited a couple seconds. As the phone clicked, he looked at the picture. "Okay, now one of the baby... " Troy centered the camera over Griffin, snapping a picture of him too. He sent both to his dad.

Jack was laughing.

"Oh my god, he looks just like Gabriella!"

"That's us and Griffin."

"Griffin? Is that what you named him?"

"That's his name. You're gonna flip when you hear what his middle name is."

Jack looked at Kay and raised an eyebrow. "Is it Jack?"

"Even better."

"Troy?"

"Nope. What did you want to name me when I was born?"

Jack thought long and hard for a moment. Kay covered her mouth and giggled a little. Jack finally knew. His mouth dropped and he was so excited that he almost dropped his phone.

"Did you really make his middle name Harley?"

Gabriella laughed when she heard Jack's reaction. "Yep, his name is Griffin Harley Bolton." She grabbed the phone from Troy. "Troy explained to me about the greek names and the motorcycle names, so I let him choose that name for his middle name. I really wanted Griffin because I can call him Griffie and Griff."

Jack sounded a little teary. "I can't believe you named him what I wanted to name you. Thank you!"

"No problem." Troy took the phone back from Gabriella. "Give me Gabriella's parents' number, and I'll call them.

Jack sent him their phone number.

"Thanks."

"Oh, and by the way, Grandpa and Grandma Bolton want to come down and see Griffin. I think they'll be proud to know that they're great grandparents."

Troy grinned. "That's fine dad. I gotta go and call Maria and Vincente`. I love you guys, and I'll talk to you later."

Kay spoke. "I love you guys too, and we love Griffin. We'll see you in about a week."

"Alright. Bye."

"Bye Troy."

Troy hung up and dialed Vincente` and Maria's number.

"Hello? Troy?" Vincente` answered the phone almost immediatly.

"Hi Mr. Montez."

"Call me Vin, please... You're basically my son in law. You don't have to call me by my last name anymore."

Troy chuckled. "Alright, I'll do that then, Vin."

Vincente` sighed. "How's Gabriella?"

"She is perfect."

"Did she have the baby yet?"

"She did."

"How's he?"

"The defect was fused together and the Spina Bifida was removed successfully. He has a good chance of a full recovery and a normal life. He's 19 inches long and five pounds, one ounce."

Vincente` laughed happily. "Oh my god, I was so worried about my little girl... "

"Here, talk to her." He put the phone on speaker.

"Hi dad!" Gabriella smiled.

"Oh my goodness sweetheart, you had me scared... "

"I'm sorry. There was nothing to be scared about, though, because I had no pain other than when the doctor sticked his hand in me to help the baby come out, but no other pain."

"Oh my god, I'm a grandpa... " He laughed. "And I'm only 32!"

"Get used to being called Papa and tell mom to get used to being called Mamaw." She giggled and rested her head on Troy's shoulder. "We named him Griffin Harley Bolton. Do you like it?"

"I think it's great sweetheart, I'll have to tell Maria. She's going to be off her rocker until we get home."

Gabriella frowned. "When are you guys coming home?"

"Well, Grandpa Rey and Grandma Leney want your mother to stay, although she insists on leaving because of the baby. My mom and dad are here, too, and they want to see you and the baby too. It's probably going to be another three weeks to a month and a half. Just send us lots of pictures."

"We already have two. Troy will send them to you."

"Okay sweetheart. I have to go. I'll tell you mother the good news."

"Okay daddy."

"Daddy... " Vincente` smiled. "I love you my little flower."

"I love you too." She handed the phone to Troy. "Bye."

"Bye sweetheart."

Troy sent Vincente` the pictures, then set his phone on the table. "Baby, why don't you rest for a while until the nurse comes?"

"I think that's a good idea." She kissed Griffin's delicate head and handed him off to Troy.

Troy turned the light off and set Griffin in his incubator.

"I love you Brie."

He could hear her breathing slowly.

"Goodnight my sweet angel." He shut the door behind him.


	24. Doubting His Words

August 3rd, 2008: 10:21 AM

Gabriella unlocked the front door to her house.

Surprisingly, Henry was the first to come up the stairs.

"Henry!" Gabriella bent down to pet him. His docked tail was wagging a million miles an hour. She kissed his nose and patted his back. Then, she heard the elephant running coming down the stairs.

"Colt!" Gabriella dropped her things on the floor to greet her dog. "Oh, I missed you so much!" Colt licked her face continuously until Leaf came up the stairs. She jumped all over the place until Gabriella decided to pet her.

Troy walked in the front door. All dogs had their eyes on the carrier. Gabriella took the carrier from Troy and set it on the kitchen table. As Troy tied Colt to the stair banister, Gabriella got Griffin out and held him carefully in her arms. Troy watched with a smile.

"Henry, come here." Gabriella held her arm out to him. Troy picked Leaf up to eliminate any riots.

"Henry, my gentleman, this is Griffin." Gabriella let Henry sniff Griffin. Henry took to him quite well, considering that what Henry doesn't accept isn't allowed back in the house. He walked away in uninterest.

Leaf was next. Troy let her go, and she ran full force towards Gabriella. She stopped when she saw Griffin. Cautiously sniffing him, her tail wagged slightly, and then she started licking his little hand. She seemed to accept him.

Then came the beast.

"Troy, hold him tight. He's never seen a baby before and I don't want him to hurt Griffin."

Troy tried to keep him calm, but Colt was just so curious. Troy held his neck while he sniffed Griffin. He became rambuncious and started running laps around Gabriella. Then, Troy chased him through the house, trying to catch him, but he was just too fast. He stopped again, sniffed Griffin and... He became calm. He sniffed again, licking him as if saying that this wasn't under Leaf's ownership, it was under his. He layed down protectively in front of Gabriella.

Troy was impressed. "Why is it that Colt gets rambuncious every time he sees someone new or someone he really likes, but is settling down to Griffin?"

"He's never seen a baby before, unlike Leaf and Henry who used to see babies all the time because of my little cousins. Maybe he just has a soft spot for babies."

Colt began acting strange. When a fly flew past Colt as he was sniffing Griffin, he growled and his hair stood up. He stood protectively over Gabriella and Griffin.

"I think his protective demeanor is finally starting to come out." Gabriella stood up. She handed Griffin to Troy, who put Griffin in his crib where the empty room used to be. It was now Griffin's room.

Colt followed Troy closely behind.

As Troy set Griffin in his crib, Colt sniffed the crib, then layed on the floor in front of it. His head was lifted protectively.

"Hey Brie, come here and check this out." Troy took a picture of Colt lying on the floor in front of Griffin's crib. He sent it to his parents' phone and to Gabriella's parents' phone.

"What's up?" Gabriella walked into the room. "Oh Coltie boy, are you protecting my little baby?" She squated down and pet Colt's head. "You are such a good boy."

...

A half hour later, Gabriella came back into the room. Colt was still there. She picked Griffin up, changed him, fed him, and surrounded him by a couple pillows on her bed. She went into her den and looked through her baby blankets to find the blue, soft one.

Troy walked into the den. "Do you need any help?"

"Nah." She found the blanket and walked into her bedroom. She picked Griffin up gently, then carried him back to his crib, where she set him down with his blanket. He happily fell back asleep, with Colt sleeping at the foot of his crib.

She sat on her bed, running her fingers through her hair. Her entire body felt like a mess.

"Baby, are you okay?" He wrapped his arm around her and sat down.

"I'm just a little... You know... Got postpartum and stuff... "

"You know I love you, right?" He kissed the side of her head.

"I just miss being a kid... Now I'm a mom, and I'm only fifteen."

"But you'll be sixteen in a couple weeks."

"And you'll be eighteen a week after that."

Troy shrugged. "What's the big deal about me being eighteen?"

"You'll go off to college the year after next year and leave Griffin and I."

"I told you baby, if I move to a college far away, you and Griffin are coming with me."

"I just don't want you to leave us."

"I'll never leave you guys." Troy looked over at her.

"Sometimes I feel like you really want to." Gabriella looked down at the floor.

"I feel like walking away sometimes and never coming back, but I haven't left yet, have I?"

"You did when I got my throat slit by the girl you went out and had sex with."

"I needed space."

"You don't think I need space sometimes? But I've got a kid now, and I can't have space when I want it."

Troy had a look of guilt on his face.

"See, you can just get up and leave when you want to. You can go and have fun with your friends and party, and can't because of Griffin."

He got up from the bed.

"Let's not talk about it, okay? I told you I wasn't going to leave, and I'm not, so leave it alone."

She nodded fakely. As he walked out of the room, she wiped a couple tears from her eyes.

She had the feeling that he wanted to leave.

Loneliness came over her body. It lurked over her head, telling her how much of an idiot she was.

And she believed it.

She believed it so much, that she felt like killing herself.

At fifteen.


	25. The Right Decision

September 27th, 2008: 4:39 AM

Gabriella woke up a little earlier than she expected to wake up.

She felt a little older and more confident, now that she was sixteen and not fifteen. She was about to turn sixteen, and Troy turned eighteen a week ago.

Griffin was now two months old.

She peered into Griffin's room, saw that he was still sleeping, and went to go take a shower. As she got out and got dressed, it was four, and he was still sleeping. She made her bed, said hello to Leaf and Henry, fed them, sighed in disappointment at Colt, who was waiting for Griffin to wake up, and then went upstairs to get something to eat.

Her dad was sitting at the kitchen table.

"Dad? Why are you up so early?" She made herself a bowl of fruit loops and sat at the bar.

"Couldn't sleep." He sighed.

"What's going on? Is something going on between you and mom?"

"No. Nothing's wrong. Just worry about you and Griffin, not me."

"Okay?" Gabriella set her bowl in the sink when she was done, and went to go check on Griffin. He was still asleep.

"Coltie, why don't you go get somethin to eat?" She said quietly and opened the dog room door open for him. "Griffin's going to be right there when you come back."

Colt was sitting up, staring right at Griffin. He set his nose between the bars and innocently looked up at Gabriella.

"Colt, come on... " She walked into the room and grabbed Colt's collar, trying to drag him into the dog room. When she finally got him to go in there, she shut the door and locked him in there.

She decided to wake Griffin up.

"Griffie, wake up... " She turned his bedroom light on and walked over to his crib. He stubbornly cried.

"I know you don't feel good, but you've been sleeping since ten in the morning yesterday." She picked him up. "Time to wake up."

He buried his head into his shoulder, whining a little.

"Don't you dare even start. You're gonna wake mamaw up."

She turned the dehumidifier up higher as he coughed.

"Let's hope daddy's going to take you to the doctor today." She set him down pn his changing table.

Her phone began to ring. She held him down with her left hand and answered her phone with her right hand. She didn't bother looking at the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Hey! Gabriella!"

She pressed te record memo button on her phone on accident.

"Troy? What's going on and why are you calling me so early?"

"Just uh... Checking up on... You... "

She looked at Griffin. "At five in the morning?"

"Yep."

She could hear loud music playing in the background.

"Where are you?"

"Oh, home... Just... Chillin'."

"Really?" In the background, she heard Harvey. "With Harvey?"

"No!"

Harvey yelled in the background. "Man, it feels sooo good to go out and party once and a while, you know what I mean?" She could hear Troy tell him to shut up.

"I will tell you that... I am NOT out partying, and I am NOT drunk, and Harvey is NOT drunk and partying... "

A girl walked up to Troy.

"Hey baby, aren't we going to get back to making out?" She giggled drunkily.

Gabriella's eyes watered.

"You cheating asshole! You obviously don't care about your son either, because you were supposed to take him to the hospital today. What the fuck ever. I don't care anymore! If it makes you happy, go party all night, but don't ever come back to my house ever again, you hear? Go ruin your own fucking life, but don't ruin mine and Griffin's!" She hung up on him.

Troy stared at his phone. He stumbled around and fell against the bar. "Shit man... "

"What's wrong kid?" Harvey grinned and danced around happily.

"Gabi's not happy... " Troy burped loudly and held the bar tightly

Harvey to count on his fingers. "Well I'm happy, you're happy, we're all happy, I'm happy, you're happy, I'm happy- "

"Stop talking Harvey... " He stumbled around a little. "We're all fucking drunk."

Troy felt a little bad, but continued on making out with the girl on the bar. He felt no guilt in his heart.

Gabriella looked at her phone, and noticed her recording memo was going. She listened to it, then quickly turned it off. She didn't erase it.

...

Gabriella gave Griffin a bath and got him dressed. She took him into the kitchen and began to feed him his bottle. Her mom came down from upstairs and her dad came out of the living room. Both went into the kitchen.

"Why are you up so early sweetheart?" Her mother grabbed some eggs, some sausage, and some bacon out of the refridgerator.

"I've gotta take Griff to the doctor. He's been sleeping since yesterday morning, he was hacking all night, and he's got a runny nose."

"I thought Troy was going to take you guys."

"Forget that asshole. He's out partying with Harvey. They're drunk and at the bar."

"But they are not old enough to be there!" Maria looked up at her.

Gabriella kept quiet.

"Gabriella Anne Montez, please don't tell me- "

"I used to go bar hopping and clubbing with them, okay? It doesn't matter anymore, because that's not how I got pregnant with Griffin and I don't do it anymore. I thought it was cool, but I have a baby now, and I can't do it anymore."

Her mother sighed. "How should I believe anything you say now? You always lied to me. I did not believe you anyway."

Gabriella looked up at her mom. "I'm changed. I had to grow up and be a mom faster than I grew into being a kid. Eight months was all it took. Here, listen to this." She grabbed her phone and started the call memo.

Vincente` and Maria listened closely.

"He's cheating on you!" Vincente` stood up. Maria tried to calm him down.

"I'm not stupid." Gabriella rolled her eyes and put her phone back in her pocket. "I know he's cheating on me. He's not my problem anymore."

Vincente` sat down at the table. "I should call Kay and Jack and tell them what their son is out doing."

"I think you should too Vin. He is sinning- "

Gabriella groaned. "Oh my god, mom and dad, just leave it alone! I can handle this myself! God damn! I can handle my own fucking life, I don't need you two nagging and biting at my feet to protect me, because I can protect myself and my own son on my own! Just quit butting into my fucking life!"

"Gabriella!" Her mother became angry. "How could you say that about your father and I?"

"I'm just tired of dad treating me like I'm still six, and you trying to direct my life. Well guess what, dad? I'm not six anymore! I spent the first six years of my life without you, and I can sure enough spend the rest of my fucking life without anyone!" Gabriella went to her room and shut the door.

Maria began to cry. "What has happened to my daughter, Vin? Why is she being so cruel and mean to everyone?"

Vincente` got up and hugged Maria. "She's stressed out... Her son's father is out partying with his friends, she can't because she has their baby, and she's tired of being cheated and lied to from him. She's not meaning anything towards you and I. I think we are pushing her to her limits, though. She needs some time to think about what she's going to do with Troy."

"If he is not going to step up and be a father to my grandson, then she needs to break it off with him and sign for full custody- "

"But she's not going to do that, and we all know that. He's pulling her strings, Maria. He has her wrapped around his finger. She does what he wants and what her to do, and that's all there is to it. She needs to find a way to cut the strings and unravel herself from him, and she's going to have to figure it out on her own. She needs to make the decision for herself. We can't make it for her like we used to. Yeah, she's still in our custody as our daughter, but she now has the right to make decisions for her and her son because she's now tied to her son. Let's just give her space to blow off some steam, okay? If she tries to talk to you, just try as much as you can to comfort her."

Maria nodded, knowing that her daughter was making a rough decision. "When I decided to let you see Gabriella, I made the hardest decision of my life. It's going to be even harder for her to make the decision to leave him, if she decides that."

"And I know what that feels like, and believe me, it's not easy to make that decision." He stroked Maria's head. "Leave her some space to grow."

...

Gabriella walked into the main room and sighed. She didn't bother to look at her mom and dad. "I'm taking Griffin to the hospital, and I'm going to Troy's house after that. If I don't come back until late tonight, don't be mad at me. I'll be back as soon as I can." And she walked out the door.

She went to her brand new SUV, which her father bought for her. It was metallic blue and black, and Gabriella loved it. She strapped Griffin in the backseat, set his bag beside him, and turned the car on. She set her head against the steering wheel. "Griffie, you know mommy loves you, right?"

Griffin was playing with a light up block that Troy got for him. He was also covered with the blue and brown silk blanket that Troy payed $30 for.

"We're gonna go pay a visit Grandpa Jack and Grandma Kay after we get back from the hospital. Maybe daddy will be there too. I hope he is so I can tear his throat open."

She pulled out of the driveway, and passed Troy's house three houses down on the left. She noticed that his truck wasn't there.

...

Gabriella set Griffin in his carseat and strapped him down. "So he has strep?"

The doctor nodded. "He needs to take the liquid I gave you twice every day, once every 12 hours. If he sleeps, let him rest, and turn your dehumidifier all the way up."

"Okay, thank you so much doctor." She picked him up, exited the building, and carried him to the car. She strapped the seat in and turned the car on. Her phone rang. It was her mom.

Ignored.

As she pulled into Troy's driveway, it was just turning nine o'clock.

She noticed Troy's truck was there.

She began to shake a little.

Gabriella got out of the car, got Griffin out of his carseat, and walked towards the front door. She rang the doorbell.

Jack opened the door.

"Hey Griffin!" He had a huge smile on his face. "What's going on?" He allowed her to step inside.

"I need to talk to Troy." She brushed Griffin's blonde hair back and kissed his cheek.

"I think he's in his room. We just woke up and took our showers. You're welcome to stay for breakfast, if you want."

"No thanks Mr. Bolton. I have to go when I'm done talking to Troy."

"Oh okay. That's fine." Jack smiled at her.

Gabriella went up to Troy's room. She opened and shut the door hard.

She wasn't happy.

He was lying on his stomach, wearing a black shirt and his jeans, with his black sneakers on. A card that read 'Midnight Romeo's Late Night Drink Party' was on his bed beside him. It said 12:00-6:00 AM on September 27th, 2008.

Troy was wasted.

She didn't let go of Griffin for one second, although he spotted his daddy and wanted to go sit with him.

Finally, Troy woke up.

He sat up in his bed, looking around. "Harvey? Caitlin? Where's Ally and the party... " He looked around, spotted Gabriella, and jumped a little.

"Oh... my god, Gabriella? What are you doing here?" He stood up, then fell back on his bed. He held his head.

"No reason." She was fuming. "What's this about 'Midnight Romeo's Late Night Drink Party'?

"What are you talking about?"

She grabbed the card off of his bed and held it up for him to see. "12:00-6:00 AM on September 27th, 2008."

"My dad and mom went to that." He said.

"You lying asshole! I know you went to that! I have proof!" She grabbed her phone from her jeans pocket and turned the memo on.

Troy listened, and then looked up at her.

"I'm so sorry Gabriella... I was drunk- "

"I don't care how drunk you were! You cheated on me, again, and I have proof that you did! I just came over here to tell you in person that I'm sick of your shit and if you can't step up and be a father to your son, then I'm done with you!"

"No, please Gabriella, I'm so sorry... Give me another chance!"

"I gave you another chance, and you screwed it up. I gave you another chance to be a father to Griffin, I gave you another chance to be with me, I gave you another shot at being in our life, and you cheated on me AGAIN! I'm fucking tired of this shit Troy! I'm done with you!"

"I just needed to get away, and this girl just kissed me out of nowhere! It's not my fault! I'm sorry!"

She hoisted Griffin a little more onto her hip. "If you want to go out and party for the rest of your life away, then you go and do that, but don't expect to see Griffin and I ever again!" She began to walk towards the door. She opened it and shut it in his face. As she walked down the stairs, he followed her.

"There was no excuse for it, and I understand that, but I don't want you to take my son away from me! Please! I love you and I want to be with you! I was drunk! Please Gabriella, please give me another chance!"

"No! I'm done with you and your shit! Leave us alone!"

Kay and Jack rushed into the room.

"What's going on?" Kay was confused.

"Your son here went out and partied last night. He got with another girl and cheated on me again! I'm sick of his bullshit, and I can't let my son be dragged into this mess with him! I'm done with him!" She tried to walk towards the door, but Kay stopped her.

Jack turned to Troy. "You did WHAT?" He grabbed Troy's shoulder and shook him. "What is it going to take to knock some sense into your ass?"

Kay held Gabriella away from the door. "Listen sweetheart, I know you're really upset. I don't blame you. But don't take Griffin away from us... "

Gabriella began to cry. Kay held her in a tight hug. Griffin began to whine, then cried because Jack was yelling at Troy. Gabriella kissed the side of his head and held him tightly against her chest.

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TROY? YOU HAVE A CHILD TO SUPPORT AND A GIRLFRIEND WHO NEEDS YOUR HELP! THIS IS RIDICULOUS!"

Kay held Gabriella in one arm and grabbed Jack's arm with the other. "Jack, calm down. You're making Griffin upset."

Jack backed away from Troy and shook his head. "God damn it Troy! This is what really makes me disappointed in you! When you got Gabriella pregnant, I was mad, but I knew that some sense would finally get knocked into you, and obviously, it wasn't... " Jack's eyes watered. "I thought we raised you right, Troy. We raised you to not be a drunk liar, and more importantly, we raised you to be faithful, and you broke both."

"I'm sorry... " Troy looked at him. "I'm sorry I disappointed you... "

"There's no room for sorries now." Jack looked at Gabriella and Griffin. "You fucked this up big time Troy. I can't get you out of this one, kid. You've gotta fix this on your own."

Troy looked over at Gabriella and Griffin. "I don't know if I can fix it."

Gabriella shook her head. "What did I ever do to make you do this?"

"You promised your friends to get pregnant. I don't want kids. I never did. You ruined my life and my social life by getting pregnant."

"_I_ ruined your life? You are the one who ruined your own life! If you don't want kids, then that's fine by me, because you'll never see Griffin and I ever again. You can just forget we ever existed!" Gabriella walked past Kay and opened the door. She turned around. "Kay, Jack, I'm so sorry this had to happen here." She ran out the door and into her car. She set Griffin in his car seat, strapped him in quickly, and pulled out of the driveway before Kay could catch her. She immediatly pulled into her own driveway and got out of the car. She got Griffin and his bag out, and ran into her house, locking the door behind her.

"Gabriella?" Vincente` ran into the main room.

Gabriella was crying. She set the bag down and leaned against the front door.

"Oh sweetheart... " He grabbed her in his arms. She cried into his shoulder.

"I broke up with Troy, daddy... We got into a big fight at his house and Griffin was crying and- " She cut herself off and cried harder. "I'm so sorry for yelling at you earlier... "

"Don't worry about it. I know you didn't mean it." Maria walked down the steps. "She just broke up with Troy and got into a big fight with him."

Maria sighed. "I'll call the lawyer."

Gabriella didn't resist.

"I'm so tired of being thrown around and treated like his whore daddy... I don't want Griffin to suffer anymore... "

"We're going to make sure that Griffin doesn't suffer anymore. We'll protect you and Griffin. Just trust us, okay?"

She nodded.

She thought she made a horrible decision, but in her heart, she knew it was right.

It was always the right decision, but she ignored it.

She knew he would cheat again, deep down. She knew that eventually, this would happen.

But not so quickly.

She had just broken up with the love of her life.

And she regretted it.


	26. An Old Friend

June 1st, 2010: 1:54 PM

School ended for Gabriella as a Junior.

She got her things from her locker, then turned to exit the school. She spotted Troy.

He was with Haylie.

She ran up to him, and he hugged her tightly. They kissed eachother.

She watched closely. Her stomach churned.

It had been a year and nine months since she broke up with him. She was glad she did. Troy didn't even fight Gabriella in court for Griffin, he just signed over his rights. He never saw Griffin again.

She walked right past them.

He literally hadn't set an eye on her since the court date. He didn't really notice what she looked like.

Gabriella walked out of the school and towards her car. She felt somebody hug her legs.

She turned around.

"Oh my goodness, by little Griffie!" She set her things down and picked him up. "Did Papa bring you here?"

He nodded. She pecked Griffin's lips and hugged him.

"Hi Papa!" Gabriella smiled as her dad came running up to her.

"He just saw you and took off!" Vincente` was laughing.

Griffin was more beautiful than anyone ever expected. He had blonde hair and bright, blue eyes. He looked a lot like Gabriella, but still had Troy's nose, eyes, and hair. She never let Troy see Griffin. He hadn't seen Griffin for a year and nine months, but she was happy that Troy wasn't a part of Griffin's life, because he was a lying and cheating bastard.

She held Griffin's hand as she set him down. He looked up at everyone who walked past and said hi.

Caitlin ran up to Gabriella.

"OH MY GOD, GABRIELLA!" Caitlin screamed.

"CAITLIN!" Gabriella let go of Griffin and hugged Caitlin. "I haven't seen you since before I had my baby! Where have you been?"

"I moved away. My phone was broken, so I couldn't let you know. I'm so sorry!"

Gabriella pulled away and picked Griffin up again. She smiled.

"This is my little baby boy, Griffin."

Caitlin was awe-stricken. "He looks like you! He's still got Troy's blue eyes and Troy's nose, but other than that, he's a spitting image of you! He's so beautiful!"

Gabriella giggled. "Thank you."

Caitlin looked around. "So where is Troy?"

"I don't know and I don't care."

"Why? What's going on between you two?"

"We broke up over a year and a half ago. I filed full custody for Griffin, and I won. He signed his rights over, and is paying me a little money every month for the money he still owes me from when he still had joint custody of Griffin."

"Why did you guys break up?"

Gabriella looked at Griffin. "He went out and got drunk with Harvey. He cheated on me at the bar, and when I confronted him about it, he blamed it on me for getting pregnant because he didn't want kids. I told him that if he didn't want kids, then he'd never see Griffin and I ever again, and then I left him forever."

Caitlin frowned. "If you want, we can go see Harvey and the field. I know that he misses seeing you, and he wants to know how life's been going with you. He probably knows that you guys are broken up, but he'll be happy to see you. He's there with the other team members to have a last time football practice. Then, they're going to have a little graduation party there. Wanna come?"

Gabriella looked at her dad. "Can I go?" She set Griffin down.

"Sure sweetheart. Try to come back as early as possible."

...

Caitlin and Gabriella both sat in the empty crowd.

"I'm gonna go to the top to get a better view." She got up and began to start up the stairs.

The football team broke apart. They all talked to the coach, then the staff started bringing tables and chairs out

"Caitlin, it's over- "

She looked up, and Caitlin was still climbing. She decided to leave her alone.

Harvey came to the bleachers. He noticed Gabriella. "Gabriella?" He looked at her.

"Hi Harvey." Gabriella smiled.

"Oh wow, I haven't seen you for a while... " He hugged her and was smiling big. "You and Troy broke up about a year and a half ago, right?"

"About a year and eight or nine months."

"The last time I saw you was when you were about seven months pregnant. But you look great Gabriella. You look much older now."

She giggled. "Well, I'm not pregnant, for one, and I'm seventeen now."

"That's why." He chuckled. "You know Troy is with Haylie Kayne, right?"

"Oh god yeah, I know. She's a little slutty whore."

He grinned. "I know she is. He made a mistake when he cheated on you. He had a chance at having a life with you, and now he's dating a slut."

"You aren't best friends with him anymore?" Gabriella folded her arms.

"Well, not best friends. I was mad at him because he left you and his child. I would never do that. Caitlin and I broke up after the baby died, but we got back together. I just don't understand why he would sign all his rights over."

"I didn't ask him to sign all his rights over. I wanted full custody of my kid, though. I would have allowed Troy to see him, but he just asked to sign his rights over. I never understood why. The last we talked was the court hearing when Griffin was three months old. He said that he had never meant to hurt me and that he was sorry. He told me that he loved us and that he always would love us. I said bullshit, slapped him, walked out of the courthouse and went home to my baby."

"He's turned into quite an ass. Probably because that slut brainwashed my best friend into a loser of a father and a cheating asshole. I'm still friends with him but nowhere near as much of a friend as I used to be." Harvey looked around. "Caitlin texted me and told me she would be here."

Gabriella pointed to the top of the bleachers. "She's up there playing with my baby."

Harvey looked up. "That kid's not no baby anymore. Tell me a little more."

"Here, let's go meet with Caitlin. I'll tell you a little more."

She walked up the stairs with him. "Well, I had a little boy, and he had Spina Bifida when he was born, and a defect on his little... You know. Well, they fixed it, and they said that there was a big chance he would live a normal life, and he is. They also thought he would have asthma, but he grew out of it."

"Anything else?"

"Well, his name's Griffin Harley Bolton. I kept his name Bolton because well, he is a Bolton. I didn't want to disgrace their family by changing his name to Montez. He's got blonde hair that falls just like Troy's does. It doesn't stick up or get messy, it stays flat, unlike my curly hair. He's got Troy's blue eyes, and Troy's nose, but the rest of him looks a lot like me. Well, if you want to compare him to somebody, he looks almost exactly like Bentley on Teen Mom."

"Really? Then he must be one cute kid. I know Caitlin watched that show all the time."

"Oh, he's beautiful. I'm so glad that he doesn't look much like Troy."

As they got to the top, Caitlin jumped into Harvey's arms and kissed his lips.

"I'm gonna go back down and sit for a while. I think I need to be alone for a little while. The last time I was at this place was before I had Griffin.

She went to the bottom, sat down, and began to dig through her purse for her phone to get a picture with Harvey. Griffin loved football, and she wanted to show him a picture of her and a football player.

She took a couple pictures with Harvey, then sent them to her dad.

"Just wait until Griffin sees the pictures. He'll be all over me!" Gabriella smiled up at Harvey. "Not to be a bother, but could you stop over sometime?"

"I would be happy to stop over. I know that he's a football fan, and he would die to see a football player in uniform."

"Thank you." She smiled. "I still live at the same house, so come over any time you guys want to come over. And I'll give you my number right now, okay?"

They all exhanged phone numbers.

"Well, I've gotta go. It was nice seeing you guys!" She hugged both Harvey and Caitlin. "Come over soon, okay?"

"We will." Caitlin smiled. "I'll see you sissy."

"Bye Caitlin!" Gabriella smiled.

That was a very good day for her. Summer was there, and she had just met her best friend once again.

What else could be better?


	27. Breaking Hearts

June 6th, 2010: 1:08 PM

Gabriella opened the front door and shut it lightly behind her. She set Griffin on his feet, and watched him play with his best friend, Colt.

"Dad? Mom? Are you guys home?" She walked into the kitchen and into the living room. "Hello?"

She fell asleep on the living room couch.

...

Griffin was sleeping on the chair when she finally got up a half hour later to see what he was doing. She picked him up.

"Oh my goodness, are you tired?"

He nodded. He rested her head on her shoulder and whined a little.

"You've gotta take a bath, baby. You're all dirty and nasty from being at the park. We've still gotta eat lunch and dinner too, Griff. Maybe after dinner you can go to bed."

She walked downstairs and into her bathroom. She ran the water, pulled Griffin's clothes off, and set him on the toilet. "Do you have to go potty first?"

Griffin shook his head.

"Then let's get you clean." She set him in the bathtub and grabbed his shampoo. Someone knocked on the bathroom door.

She opened it. "Dad? I thought you and mom weren't home."

"I just came home." He seemed a little worried.

"Dad, what's going on?"

He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "You're not going to like it."

"What is it?"

"I pulled into the driveway, and walked into the house. Well, the doorbell rang, and guess who it was?"

She knelt down at the edge of the bathtub and started washing Griffin's hair. "Who was it?"

"Jack and Kay Bolton."

Gabriella looked up at him. "They were here regarding Troy?"

"No. They want to see you."

"Wait, why are you talking in present-tense?"

"Because they're here now."

Gabriella became nervous. "Let me finish giving Griffin a bath. Just invite them inside." She washed the soap out of Griffin's hair, washed his body, then took him out of the bathtub. She dried him and dried his hair, then tried to dress him. "Are you gonna wear big boy boxers like Papa, or are you going to pee your pants like you did at the park today?"

Griffin wasn't in the mood to decide. She just decided that it would be better to put a diaper on him instead of trying to run him back and forth to the bathroom.

She put his cute blue plaid shorts on him, and a white t-shirt. She also put his blue plaid sneakers.

Gabriella gave him his toothbrush while brushing his hair forward. She helped him brush his teeth, then picked him up.

"Griffin, you need to be good, okay?"

Griffin nodded.

"No hissy fits or tantrums."

He nodded again.

"Okay let's go meet someone new, okay?"

She set Griffin down at the end of the stairs and walked up them. She saw Jack and Kay. She couldn't help but smile.

"Kay!" She ran towards Kay and hugged her tightly. Kay was grinning big.

"Oh my god, I missed you so much!" Kay pulled away from her. Gabriella also hugged Jack.

"How have you been?" Jack smiled at her.

"I've been hanging in. It's not easy raising a 22 months little boy."

"And you're telling us!" Jack laughed. "We've had our share of a 22 month old boy, and it's not too easy."

Gabriella looked towards the steps. "Hey Griffie, come here."

She didn't hear him.

"Griffin?" She walked over to the steps. "Dad, where did he go?"

"I don't know." He looked around. "Peanut?"

"Hold on, I've got a good idea." Gabriella grinned. "Griffie, Papa is gonna watch football!"

Griffin ran out from behind the kitchen counter.

Gabriella chuckled and grabbed Griffin. "You like your football, don't you?" She kissed his cheek.

Gabriella took Griffin over to Jack and Kay.

"This is Griffin? Oh my goodness, he's gotten so big!"

"Yep, this is my little Griffin." She smiled at him. "Say hi Griffie."

He waved to them and smiled. "Hi."

Kay looked up at Jack and giggled. "Hi Griffin."

"Football!" Griffin looked at Vincente`. "Football!"

Vincente` laughed. "Football will be on later."

"I take it he likes football?" Jack smiled.

"Oh my god, he can't get enough of football." Gabriella set him on his feet. "Who's your favorite team Griff?"

"Patriots!" Griffin jumped up and down.

"Oh my god, what a coincidence... " Jack looked at Gabriella. "Not meaning to bring up anything about Troy, but Troy got a full scholarship to New York State University, and if he passes their programs there at college, he'll become a candidate for the Patriots."

"Griffin might be seeing his dad play for the Jets." Kay smiled. "May I hold him?"

"Oh sure." Gabriella looked at Griffin, then pushed him towards Kay. She told him that it was his dad's mom, and he immediatly jumped into his arms. Kay had a huge smile on her face.

"Look at our grandson, Jack... He's so beautiful... "

Jack looked at Gabriella. "Can we take a few pictures?"

"Go right ahead. I don't really mind."

Jack got his phone out, then held Kay in his left arm. With his right arm, he snapped a picture.

"Picker! Picker!" Griffin tried to grab the phone.

"He wants to see the picture." Gabriella giggled.

Jack happily showed him the picture. Griffin laughed.

"How about one alone?" Kay set Griffin down. Jack knelt on the floor, and snapped a picture of Griffin

"One with Griffin and I." Gabriella grinned and knelt down with Griffin. Griffin sat on her knee.

"Okay, unless you want a couple more Kay, I think this is enough." Jack put his phone in his pocket. "We've gotta get home Kay. Troy's graduation is in two hours."

Kay sighed and looked at Jack. "But I want to stay here... "

Jack laughed. "Well, I do too, but he's counting on us to be there, since Haylie won't be there."

Gabriella looked at them funny. "Haylie? Haylie Kayne?"

Kay rolled her eyes. "Oh my god, the worst decision Troy ever made. It was the girlfriend he picked up after you. That was the first girl that he cheated with you on."

"I knew that he was with her, but I thought she would be at his graduation, to say the least."

"He broke up with her four days ago. He said that he was done and he didn't want any more girlfriends. Then he complained about how stupid he was about signing his rights over for Griffin, then he started talking about you, and he went upstairs, saying that he hated her all along." Kay laughed. "He's putting on some weird mood swings."

Gabriella suddenly felt bad. She looked at her dad, then at Griffin, and back at Jack and Kay.

"Well, I'll see you guys around. Tell Troy I'm happy for him and you guys are always welcome to come and visit Griffin and I."

Kay picked Griffin up again and kissed him on his cheek. "Just remember that I'm Grandma Kay and this is Grandpa Jack, okay? I love you Griffin." She handed him to Jack.

"I love you buddy. Keep on loving the Patriots! Your dad might be playing for them someday." Jack razzled his hair and set him down. He ran to Gabriella.

"I'll see you guys." She opened the door for them. "Bye you guys." She shut it and looked at her dad. "I feel horrible now."

"Why sweetheart?"

"Because, I wish Troy wouldn't have cheated on me... " Gabriella sat on the steps and pulled Griffin onto her lap. "He told me that he'd never leave me, and I left him... "

"But you left him for a good reason, Gabriella."

"I just don't want live the rest of my life without Troy... I just love him so much... "

Vincente` sighed. "I know sweetheart, but you have to make the right decision. You're not just making a decision for yourself, but you're making a decision for your son." He rested his arm against the banister.

"And I don't want to get attached to Troy, and him cheat on me again. Then, I have to break Griffin's heart and tear him away from his dad, which then I'll be dealing with my broken heart and Griffin's. But I don't want Griffin living the rest of his life like I lived for six years. The only male role model he has is you, and I'm not saying you're good enough, but he needs somebody who will go outside and play football with him, somebody who can help him pee in the toilet, other than me. He needs his father... "

Vincente` put his hand on Gabriella's shoulder. "That is a decision you're going to have to make. If it were me, I would say to leave Troy out of Griffin's life, because like you said, once a cheater, always a cheater. And if he does it again, you'll take Griffin, and he'll get a broken heart this time.

Gabriella got up and held Griffin on her hip.

"I just don't want my little boy getting hurt."

"I understand."

Gabriella sighed and walked down the left stairs and into her den. She set Griffin on her couch, and sat down beside him. She began to cry.

Nothing was harder than deciding whether or not to break Griffin's heart.


	28. Last Chance To Say Goodbye

June 6th, 2010: 3:30 PM

Jack and Kay sat in the front row. They were talking as all the kids got called up to accept their diploma's.

"Is Troy next?"

"No." Jack sighed. "How many times are you going to ask me that?"

"As many times as it takes to see my kid graduate." She looked over a couple heads and saw that Troy was third in line.

The graduation was held outside because it was so nice out. And since the trees were blooming late, it seemed perfect for an outside graduation.

"Troy Bolton." The principal called Troy up.

"Oh my gosh, there's my baby!" Kay squeezed Jack's hand.

Troy did sort of a fake smile as he shook the principal's hand. He accepted his diploma.

The principal did a little speech for Troy. "This young man has accomplished a B+ average overall, and has exceeded standards in our football team. As a Freshman, he was elected Captain of the football team, and the main running back. But the coach switched him to Quarter Back, and he has exceeded expectations. He will be going off to New York State University with a full sports scholarship. If he makes it there, he will become a member of the New England Patriots."

Jack and Kay both stood up, clapping as Troy stood with the crowd of people. "I couldn't imagine how this day would come out, and it's been so wonderful already." Kay smiled up at Jack. "Our little boy's growing up."

Jack sat back down with her. "He's not our little boy anymore, Kay. He's a grown man."

As the graduating class was dismissed, Troy walked up to his mom and dad with his diploma in hand. He hugged both his mom and dad, then handed his diploma to his mom for safe keeping.

"You've done great Troy. We're really proud of you." Jack hugged Troy again. "Just wait until you become a Patriot's player."

Kay looked at Jack. "Should we tell him who we saw today?"

Jack nodded. "I think he'll be pretty happy." He got out his phone.

"Did you meet a player or something?" Troy said as he took his gown off and straightened up his tie.

"No, but we met a diehard fan for the Patriots."

"Oh, that's cool." Troy folded his gown and cap off and handed it to his mom."

"You'll never believe who the fan is."

"Who is it?"

Jack turned his phone to Troy. Troy saw a picture of his dad, his mom, and a little blonde haired boy. He took the phone.

"Awh, a little boy likes the Patriots?" He smiled. "I hope I have fans like that if I become a Patriot player."

"That's not just any little boy." Jack smiled.

"What do you mean?" Troy seemed a little confused.

Kay became a little excited. "That's your son, Troy."

Troy stared at the picture. "That's Griffin?"

His mom nodded.

"Oh my god... " Troy looked at his mom and dad. "He... He's so beautiful... God damn, he looks just like Gabriella... " Troy laughed with a couple tears in his eyes.

Kay and Jack both laughed. "He's got your straight hair." Kay ran her hand down Troy's hair. "And he's got your beautiful eyes."

"Go to the next picture." Jack said.

Troy flipped the picture. It was of Griffin alone. "He's standing up! He's normal!" Troy looked at his mom and dad, then back at the picture. "And oh my god, he's so much bigger! He got tall!"

"There's one more that I think you'll like." Jack looked at the picture with Troy.

The next picture was of Gabriella and Griffin.

"The two people that I love more than anything in this world... " Troy shook his head. "Gabriella is still so gorgeous. She looks more older and more sophisticated. And even more beautiful. She lost all the weight from having Griffin, too."

"She wanted us to tell you that she is really happy for you." Kay wrapped her arm around Troy. "I think she still really loves you, but she doesn't want to hurt Griffin by putting him in that situation again."

Troy sighed. "I understand why she doesn't want to hurt herself and Griffin."

"Come on sweetheart, let's go to home, okay?" Kay dragged Jack to the truck. "Take as much time as you need, okay?"

"Okay." Troy said, still staring at the phone.

Troy sat there, staring at the three pictures of Griffin. He wanted so desperately to meet Griffin again and see Gabriella again.

"God, I just want one day... One day... " He set the phone down and stared at the crowd of chairs.

"I think you got your wish."

He turned around.

"Gabriella?"

"Hi Troy." Gabriella said.

"Oh my god... " Troy was speechless.

She hugged Troy tightly. He hugged her back, then pulled away. He stared at her from head to toe, immediatly starting to break into tears.

"You look so amazing! You're taller and so much more beautiful!"

"Thank you." She smiled at him. "I need to talk to you about something." She sat him down on the chair. "If the courts or child services figures out that I have contact with your family, I'll be arrested, be put in jail, and have Griffin taken away from me forever. You can't speak of this to anyone, Troy. Not even your parents."

Troy's eyes watered. "Why can't I just ask for rights back, so I can see him?"

"We have to get married and stay married for a year for you to get atleast joint custody of him. But I think there's another way."

"What is it?"

"Well, they have to do a full background check on you and the people you live with. Then, they bring the dogs in your house and search the entire house. After that, they bring you and the people you live with for questioning. But before all that, I have to approve your rights, and I have to sign off full custody and split custody with you."

"Well, why don't you approve my rights to have joint custody? Here, I have a phone. Call them and tell them right now- "

"Troy... " Gabriella's eyes watered and she looked up at the sky. "I'm not approving your rights."

"What? Why not?"

"I can't trust you with my son." She looked over at him. "I'm not going to let you go out and party all night, and leave my baby in a crib at your house. I can't let my baby get close to you, and then be ripped apart from you and have a broken heart. If I let you be his father, you can't back out. Right now, he really doesn't know what a daddy is. He thinks that it's a person's name. That's sad, Troy. You made his life the way it is now, and he's not the one paying for it. You are."

Troy shook his head as tears fell from his eyes. "I want to be a father to my son, Gabriella. You don't know how much it broke my heart when you broke up with me. It killed me, Gabriella. Yeah, I cheated on you twice, and yeah, I didn't want any kids at the time, but it's just so different now. I have a good career ahead of me. I might be a pro football player for the Patriots, Gabi. I can afford and take care of Griffin. I can be there for him." He took one of her hands. "When you told me that you were pregnant, I wanted to fall off that dock and drown. But I didn't. I went out to a party, decided that I wanted to let my sorrows out, and I grabbed the first girl that walked out of the bar. I know that hurt you really bad. But I still was acting like a kid. When you had Griffin, I acted all responsible and I helped you feed him and play with him and do whatever you wanted me to do. I acted grown up. But I wasn't. I went out and partied with Harvey one night, and I found a girl and made out with her on the bar. I know that was your last straw. I know it was. And I didn't understand that. I took advantage of your trust and your love... And I feel horrible for it... When you broke up with me and screamed at me that day, I said some things I didn't mean because one, I was half drunk, and two, my dad was screaming at me too. But when you walked out that door Gabriella, my heart stopped beating. My lungs stopped breathing. My brain stopped thinking. And then I went and found Haylie, who was the first person there. I needed someone to love, but she wasn't it. And now... I've got the lady of my dreams sitting in front of me. I can't miss this chance, Gabriella. Please... Just come back to me." He kissed her hand, letting tears fall down his face.. "Please just give me another shot."

Gabriella turned her head, letting tears fall down her cheeks. She didn't want to leave him. She hated to see Troy cry. She knew that this was serious, now. She couldn't just run and hide Griffin in her bedroom.

She turned back to Troy.

She squated down in front of Troy and placed her hands on his knees.

"You didn't get to say goodbye to Griffin, and you didn't get to say goodbye to me when I left the last time. Now, this the last chance that you'll ever have to say goodbye to me. If you want to say goodbye to me, do it right now. This is it, Troy. I'm done, right here, right now."

He stared into her chocolate eyes, trying to find her heart. He couldn't find it there, because it wasn't there for him anymore.

"I can't say bye... I can't let you go... "

"I'm not going back to you... I'm not putting myself and Griffin through that... "

He looked away as tears fell from his face. He tried to think, and then turned back to her.

He grabbed her face in his hands and kissed her.

Gabriella cried the entire time during that kiss. She didn't want to let him go. She wanted so desperately to be with him and to raise her son with him. But she wasn't going to break Griffin's heart if Troy did something stupid again.

He pulled away. "I love you." He looked down and took his hands off of her face. "God, I love you so damn much... "

Gabriella looked into his eyes. "I love you too." She wiped a couple tears off of his face. "Don't cry, okay? I'm giving you a chance to live the life that you tried to live when you were with me. I grew up too fast, and you were still stuck in your teenage days."

"But I've grown up now... "

"That's what you said when Griffin was born." She looked into his Atlantic Ocean blue eyes one last time, stroked his medium-brown hair, and kissed his soft lips. "I love you and I always will, but we just weren't right for eachother. Go find who's right for you, Troy. You have a chance to forget about Griffin and I, and go live your life the way it was meant to be lived. Go do what you were meant to do. Go play football and find a good wife, and have kids with her. Just forget about us, okay? I love you more than anyone else in the world, other than Griffin. There's no words to describe what kind of roller coaster we've been on, from the time I was fourteen and met you to the time I was sixteen and just had my baby. You gave me a gift, and that gift means more to me than anything else in the world. That's why I'm doing this to you. I'm making the right decision for my son and I." She turned around. "Bye Troy." And she walked off to her car.

Troy sat there for an hour, crying. His mom and dad were still waiting. When he finally got in the car, he told his mom and dad that he didn't want to talk, handed his dad back his phone, and went home, where he stayed in his bedroom for days.

He was finally feeling what it was like to be lonely.


	29. Caitlin's Misery

July 8th, 2010: 1:30 PM

Gabriella went home that night, had her parents feed Griffin and put him to bed. She immediatly went straight to her bed and cried her eyes out.

It was a rough two days.

Griffin woke her up at 1:30 two days later. He told her that he had to pee.

So, she took him to the bathroom, praised him for peeing in the toilet, and went back to bed.

He woke her up again.

"Give me a hug." She opened her arms, and he basically timbered onto her. She flipped him to the other side of the bed. "I love you so much, and I'll never let anything happen to you."

Griffin looked into her eyes with his big blue eyes. She stroked his hair and looked up at the ceiling.

"I wish your daddy would have been here for you, but he did some really bad things, and mommy can't trust him anymore. But we can live together without daddy, right?"

Griffin grinned and kissed her lips.

"How about we go upstairs and get something to eat in that skinny belly or yours?" She tickled him and opened her bedroom door for him, going upstairs to make him something to eat.

"What do you want, Griff?"

He opened the fridge and pointed. "Steak!"

"Oh god, does Papa have you on steak rush?"

Griffin nodded.

"You get your love of meat from your dad. But not tonight with the steak. How about some cheese sticks and fries?"

Griffin grabbed the fries and cheese sticks from the freezer and handed them to Gabriella.

As she handed him his plate of food, her mom and dad walked into the house.

"Hi Papa! Hi Mamaw!" Gabriella adored his hard to understand baby tone. She couldn't get enough of it.

"Peanut! My little love!" Maria hung her raincoat up and went into the kitchen. "What are you eating?"

"Fuh fies and cheese sticks."

"He still cannot say french fries." Maria laughed. "But he does not talk much anyway, does he? He does not even like to talk to his Mamaw or Papa, or even his own mommy sometimes! He is my shy guy, huh?"

Griffin giggled and pulled a cheese stick apart.

"So, how was your day?" Vincente` walked into the kitchen.

"Boring and full of nothing but Griffin's pee breaks and the occasional Griffin food breaks."

Vincente` pulled out some spaghetti for dinner. "Why have you been so down for the past couple days?"

Gabriella sighed and took a cheese stick from Griffin. "I made a horrible mistake."

"What mistake did you make?" Vincente` stirred the sauce.

"You guys can't go running to CPS either, or the courts. This is completely and strickly confidencial between you guys and I."

Maria sat at the table. "What is wrong?"

She sighed and ran her fingers through Griffin's hair. "I went to see Troy at his graduation.

Maria looked at her. "Please do not tell me you let him see Griffin."

"I didn't. But I kissed him. I let him say the goodbye that he needed to say. I'm thinking about letting him say goodbye to Griffin, too."

"Gabriella, I don't care how bad you feel about the entire Troy situation, he can't see Griffin! Griffin would be taken away from you forever!" Vincente` turned around. "Unless you decide that you're going to get back together with him and give him his rights back, which you aren't doing... Right?"

Gabriella was stroking Griffin's hair. "I'm thinking about it."

Vincente` groaned. "Gabriella, you can't put Griffin trough getting his heart broken. If you really want Troy, he needs to realize this time that he's dealing with not only your heart, but he's dealing with a little boy's heart also- "

"Alright dad, I know, I know. I'm still not completely sure, but I'm very seriously thinking about getting back together with Troy and signing his rights back on. But whatever I do, it's what I think is best for us." She set Griffin's plate in the sink. "I'm gonna take Griffin to the beach, since it's so hot out today. I also just need to get out and do something."

Gabriella texted Caitlin and asked her if she wanted to go to the beach. She accepted the invitation, and said that she was bringing Harvey with her.

Griffin ran up the stairs and stopped in the main room. As her dad came out from the kitchen, he grinned.

"Beach peanut!" Vincente` picked Griffin up and threw him into the air. Griffin was laughing.

"Okay, okay Papa." Gabriella laughed and took Griffin from her dad. "We've gotta get to the beach. Say bye to Papa!"

Griffin waved. "Bye Papa."

"Bye peanut! Have fun!" He opened the door for them and shut it behind them.

...

Gabriella layed her towel on the sand, then helped Griffin lay his out. She stuck an umbrella in the sand and opened it.

As she sat down, she grabbed Griffin. "Are you going to go swimming, or are you just going to sit here and do nothing?"

He looked up at her. "Hi mommy. No swim."

She giggled and stood him up. "Hi Griffin."

She took his shirt off and began to rub the sunblock on him.

"Hi mommy."

She rolled her eyes and smiled, knowing that he was playing games. "Hi Griffin."

"Hi mommy."

"Hi Griffin." Gabriella poked at his ribs. "Hi Griffin hi Griffin hi Griffin!"

He laughed and fell on his towel as Gabriella tickled him all over.

"Now, are you going to go swimming or are you going to stay here? Cause if you're not going swimming, then there's no reason to put your trunks on."

Griffin looked out at the ocean. He patted his towel.

"Oh fine. Might as well just sit here then."

She waited another ten minutes. Finally, Harvey and Caitlin showed up.

"Hey guys." Gabriella looked up at them.

"Hey Gabi." Caitlin layed her towel beside Gabriella and sat down. Harvey dropped his towel and took off his shirt. "So, is that little Griffin that you've been talking about?"

"This is him." Gabriella grabbed Griffin and pulled him onto her lap. "Griffin, this is Harvey, and Harvey, this is Griffin. And you remember this girl? Her name is Caitlin."

"Hi Harley."

"No, it's Harvey, Griffin."

"Hi Harley."

She laughed. "His middle name is Harley, so he's going to get Harley and Harvey mixed up."

Harvey grinned and squated down in front of Griffin. "That's okay. Nice to meet you, Griffin."

"Hi Harley." Griffin waved and looked back at his mom.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting in the water." He ran his hand down his abs, brushing them off, and then grinned at Gabriella and Caitlin.

"Just go." Caitlin shooed him.

"Okay, okay, fine, I'll go by myself." Harvey began to walk towards the water.

"Harley, Harley!" Griffin ran towards him.

"What's wrong little man?"

"I wanna swim!" He said quickly in his baby tone.

He looked at Gabriella.

"He wants to swim. If you want to take him, you can take him swimming. You don't have to."

"Alright, come on." He held his hand out. Griffin gladly took it and tried dragging him towards the water.

Caitlin was giggling. "Oh my god, he's so adorable!"

"I love how he talks so fast that you can't understand what he's saying. He's still got a baby voice, and his baby voice makes it even harder to understand him."

Caitlin and Gabriella both watched Harvey and Griffin play in the water. Caitlin sighed.

"I wish Ursala wouldn't have died." Caitlin looked down at the ring on her finger. "I can't stop wearing that ring that the doctors gave to me after she died. It has her name engraved in the stone."

Gabriella set her phone beside her. "I'm so sorry that she died. I can't imagine what it was like going through that."

Caitlin looked over at Gabriella. "What's it like?"

"What's what like?"

"Being a mother?"

"Not like Haylie, Brieanne, and Elise made it out to be." Gabriella giggled. "They didn't mention how hard it was to adjust to waking up at two in the morning. They didn't mention anything about horrible back pain and migranes. They didn't say a word about how hard it was to keep up with a baby. They only mentioned things like the baby's first word, and the first steps, and how we would dress up our babies together and take them to the park. They never mentioned any of the bad things."

Caitlin sighed. "I still really want a baby."

"Well, don't have one. If you think that you can take care of Griffin for a day, well, you're in for a big shocker."

"Why?"

"Every day, the first thing I do is get up before Griffin, take a shower, and eat breakfast. When he wakes up, he immediatly has to go to the bathroom, so I have to stand there with him, either holding him over the toilet or helping him learn how to pee in the toilet, since I just started potty training him. Then, he gets a bath, and he also eats breakfast while I try to plan something for the day to keep him occupied. And believe me, it's not as easy as it sounds."

Caitlin looked at Griffin and Harvey. "But I want to do what Harvey is doing with Griffin. I want to take my baby to the park and play with it all day. I want to do what you do every day."

"I thought I wanted to do it too, but Caitlin, it isn't worth giving up your childhood over. Be a kid for as long as you can. Don't waste yourself trying to take care of a baby. I mean, if you really want to try to take care of a baby, you can stay with me at my house and try to take care of Griffin. And I can't guarentee he'll make it to the toilet in the morning. So that's another whole world by itself. He's still gotta wear diapers so that he doesn't have any accidents. So if there's an accident with him, you get to clean it up Caitlin."

Caitlin giggled. "I'll pass."

"Just don't get pregnant again, okay? I'm only trying to tell you that the positive sides of having a baby don't even match up to the negative sides. It's not worth the risk, Caitlin."

She messed with her ring. "I just feel so lonely."

"Tell Harvey that."

"He'll think I'm an idiot."

"No he won't."

Caitlin sighed.

Gabriella hated to use her and Troy's relationship as an example, but if it was going to stop Caitlin from getting pregnant, she would use it.

"Look at what happened to Troy and I. When I told Troy I was pregnant, he ran off and had sex with the girl that slit my throat three months later. Then, after Griffin was born, he decided that partying was better than seeing his own son. One night, he cheated on me again, and I cut ties with him. He hasn't seen Griffin since the night that I broke up with him. Griffin was two months old. So if you think that having a baby will keep you and Harvey tied together, it won't. It's just another heart to be broken. That's why I'm making the decision to stay away from Troy, because he promised he wouldn't cheat on me and did anyway. So, I can't trust him anymore, now that I have Griffin."

"But every relationship is different."

"I'm just saying that because boys are unpredictable. I never expected for Troy to cheat on me. They do things when you don't think they would ever do it. I thought Troy would man up and try to help me raise Griffin, but he decided partying over his own son. Look where he is now. He's torn between Griffin and I, his family, and Haylie. I'm keeping away from him because I don't want my son getting hurt in the process."

Caitlin nodded. "You have to make the right decision for you and Griffin."

Gabriella sighed and watched Griffin play. "Right now, I'm torn between two options. I can go back to Troy and risk breaking Griffin's heart if I have to leave Troy, or I can stay away from Troy, and Troy never gets to see Griffin. I'm really leaning towards my second option, though, because although I don't want Griffin growing up without a father, I don't want him growing up with an unstable father. I can raise him myself, if I have to."

Griffin started running out of the water towards Gabriella. Harvey chased after him, and picked him up like he was about to throw a football player over his shoulder. But, he started running towards the water again, with Griffin screaming and laughing.

Once Harvey stopped playing, Griffin attempted to run towards Gabriella again, and this time, suceeded.

"Mommy, mommy, swim!" Griffin grabbed her arm and tugged with both hands. "Swim!"

"You want me to swim?" She stood up and brushed the sand off of herself. "Do you wanna come, Caitlin?"

"Sure!" She also stood up.

And they spent the rest of the day, playing in the water, forgetting their troubles...

But one trouble still existed.

Troy.


	30. How To Get His Rights Back

June 16th, 2010: 2:39 PM

Vincente` and Maria both went on vacation for a month to go see both of their parents. They left two days ago.

Gabriella called CPS while watching Griffin play with Colt outside.

"Hello, this is the Child Protective Services of Boston and the surrounding area. My name is Amy Frederick and how may I help you?"

Gabriella stared at Griffin. "Hi Amy, I'm calling today regarding my son."

"Okay, let me pull up your records on the computer. Name?"

"Gabriella A. Montez."

"Your son's name?"

"Griffin H. Bolton."

"Address?"

"329 Atlantic Lake Drive, Boston, Massachusetts."

She could hear Amy typing in the background.

"Okay, so what is your concern or question?"

"There's a couple questions I have." She clicked her pen and set the piece of paper on her lap. "First off, my son's father's name is Troy A. Bolton. When my son was around two months old, I ended my relationship with him."

"Were you two married?"

"No. We were only dating."

Gabriella wrote down the date that she broke up with Troy, which was 09/27/08. Then, she wrote down that she was sixteen, and Griffin's birthday, and that he was two months old. She also wrote Troy's birthday, and that he was eighteen. Drawing a line, she wrote under it that Griffin was 22 months, she was seventeen, and Troy was nineteen.

"Okay, when I ended my relationship with Troy, I filed for full custody of our son, and he signed over all of his rights without hesitation. Since the court was going to give him weekend visitation, they locked the document stating that all of his rights were taken away because he insisted on signing all of his rights over."

"So basically, to sum it up, you ended your relationship with Troy, you filed for full custody. He was awarded weekend visitation, but signed all his rights over."

"That's correct." Gabriella checked on Griffin, then looked back at her paper. "The first question I have was that if he wanted his rights back, and I was willing to give his rights back, what are the options I have of awarding him his rights back?"

"Okay, the first option is to marry him. He would not get custody rights for an entire year after that, but he will still be allowed to see his son. He just can't be responsible for anything for your son, and can't claim your son if something serious happened."

"So if I divorced him after his custody rights were awarded to him, what would happen?" She began writing down the things that Amy had said.

"His rights would automatically be taken away again."

"Okay. Are there any more options?"

"Well, the next option is that you approve his rights. If you want him to have his rights back, you can approve them with the court system. Before the court awards him joint custody, they would have to do full background checks on him and the people he lives with, they will search the house, take them in for questioning, and some more standard procedure things. If Troy is arrested, the courts will question his custody of your son, and may or may not take him away, depending upon the severity of the crime. He will have a court hearing. If criminal charges are put upon Troy, you will be awarded automatic full custody and he will go back to having no rights. If you decide that you don't want him to have rights to see your son, you will have a court hearing, and if you win, he will have to sign over his rights once again, but if he wins, it will go back to normal."

"So those are the only two ways?"

"Yes they are. In cases where the father or mother signs all of their rights over for their child, the court system basically makes two birth certificates. One has the mother and father's name on it, and the other has the legal guardian's name/names on it. Unfortuanately, if you and Troy are both responsible for criminal charges, he would automatically be placed in a foster home, and then be put up for adoption. Then, the second birth certificate would be deleted and basically forgotten about."

Gabriella looked up at Griffin, confused. "They never told me about two birth certificates, or the penalties of crime charges."

"I can see both birth certificates here on the screen. There is a copy of a birth certificate with the names Troy Alexander Bolton under the father, and Gabriella Anne Montez under the mother."

"That's correct."

"There's another one that has only Gabriella Anne Montez on it as his legal guardian."

Gabriella shook her head. "Why did they never tell me that my son only has two birth certificates?"

"That rests in the court's hands to tell you, Miss Montez. I am uncertain why. As for the criminal charges, though, they should have told you that. I don't understand why they did not tell you."

Gabriella wrote that down. "I need a copy of his second birth certificate, then."

"I will have the Massachusetts State Court systems send you a copy."

"Okay. Thank you for your time."

"Your welcome Miss Montez. Have a wonderful day."

Gabriella pressed end on her phone, staring at it for a couple seconds. She then looked at the piece of paper.

"So if I get in trouble with the law and just get a day in jail, Griffin will be taken away from me forever? I can't just sign him over to my mom and dad?"

She shook her head and stood up. She set the paper on the deck table and her phone on top of it. She sat on the steps and watched Griffin and Colt play a little more. Henry pawed at the glass door, so Gabriella let him out. He plopped down beside her.

"Got lonely, huh?" She grabbed his wrinkles on the side of his face and kissed them. "You're getting old, aren't you big man?"

Henry grunted and layed down, rolling on his back for her to pet him.

"Seven years old and still going at it." She scratched his stomach and watched Griffin and Colt. "And Colt, he's going on four already. He's still my big puppy, though."

And Leaf ran up to Gabriella, bright eyed and squirrelly-tailed.

"And my little Leafy is already five!" She razzled Leaf's fur as she bounced around.

Colt flew onto the deck with Griffin following closely behind. Colt slide on his feed and barked at the glass door.

"I think it's time that we go inside, huh?" She picked Henry up, groaning, and Leaf followed her.

"Griffie, will you go get my phone and that piece of paper on the table?"

He did as he was told, and sat at the kitchen table. The chair was easy for him, because it was a square table with one big chair wrapping around the entire thing. He set the paper on the table and began to mess with Gabriella's phone.

"Griff, stop playing with mommy's phone." She grabbed it out of his hands. His bottom lip stuck out.

"Don't start pouting, please... " She walked into the living room and hung the paper on their reminder board.

He got off of the seat, and tried to get upstairs. "Papa, football!"

Gabriella giggled a little. "Griffin, Papa isn't here, and the Jets aren't on TV today. They'll be on in a couple days."

He was halfway up the stairs. He immediatly began to bawl.

"Griffin... " She sighed and went up the stairs, picked him up, and carried him back down. She set him on the couch as he cried.

"Maybe Papa has a game recorded." She flipped through the DVR recordings, and found a Jets game.

"There. Now sit here and watch."

Griffin was immediatly focused into the TV. He didn't move the entire time it was on.

"Griffin, what do you wanna be when you grow up?"

"Football." He responded, still staring at the screen.

"You wanna be a football player?"

He nodded.

"For what team?"

"Patriots."

"For the Patriots... " Gabriella brushed his hair forward and kissed the top of his head. "Your real daddy is going to be a Patriots football player pretty soon. You must get your love of playing football from him, and your love of watching football from Papa."

Griffin didn't say anything. He was too interested in the TV.

"I love you Griffin. You act so much like Troy, it's not even funny. You might not look like your daddy too much, but you still have his big heart, his personality, and his interests... "

Gabriella walked away from the couch, looking out the window. She stared at Troy's house, and the Atlantic Lake. The Lake was said to have roots from the Atlantic Ocean, but it wasn't proved. She still considered it the Atlantic Ocean. It reminded her of Troy's eyes, and of Griffin's eyes. How the three looked so much alike...

As she turned back around, Colt was lying with Griffin on the couch. Henry was staring out the window. Leaf was chasing around a piece of dog food. Her typical dogs.

Griffin was staring at the TV. Typical Griffin.

Gabriella was missing Troy.

Unusual Gabriella.


	31. Reunited

June 20th, 2010: 1:07 PM

She was still torn between two options. Keep away from Troy, or be with him.

She wanted desperately to be with him. But she didn't want to hurt Griffin.

Her biggest fear was to have to deal with Griffin's broken heart.

Gabriella got up from the kitchen bar when she heard the doorbell ring. As she answered it, she had a huge smile on her face.

"Hi Kay!" She hugged her tightly. "How are you?"

"I'm great! How are you, Gabriella?"

"I'm alright." She opened the door a little more and shut it behind Kay. "Griffin's eating lunch in the kitchen. Would you like something to eat or to drink?"

"No thank you. I just ate lunch myself." She smiled at Gabriella. "Where's your mom and dad?"

"They're on vacation, seeing their parents like they do every year. I've been left to the house by myself like usual." Gabriella giggled.

Kay followed Gabriella into the kitchen. Obviously, Griffin remembered Kay. He was still sitting at the kitchen table, but had already eaten his peanut butter sandwich. "Grandma Kay?"

"You remember Grandma Kay? I'm surprised!" Gabriella wiped off his hands and his face. "Go say hi to her!"

Griffin got off of the kitchen chair and ran to Kay with open arms. Kay seemed extremely happy that he remembered her.

"Hi Griffin!" She embraced him tightly with a huge smile.

"Hi Gramma Kay!" He pulled back.

Gabriella watched from a distance. This was the start of her greatest fears.

Breaking her son's heart if she had to get away from Troy and his family.

Kay stood up, and Griffin ran into the basement. Gabriella cleaned up her and Griffin's plates and put them in the dishwasher.

"So, what have you been doing lately?"

"Oh, nothing much. Get up, take a shower, get Griffin ready, and plan something for the day. That's basically it."

Kay nodded. "I've been watching Troy punish himself for something that I don't know what even happened. He's just been up in his room, confined all day. He won't come out unless it's to get his dinner or something to eat. He hasn't even talked to us. I came over to ask you if you had something to do with it."

Gabriella's heart almost stopped. She knew that he was upset about the entire Griffin situation.

"I don't know anything about what's going on." She lied.

And Kay sensed it.

"Don't lie to me, Gabriella. I've known you since you just turned fourteen."

"I'm not lying about anything. What makes you think I'm lying to you?" She became very guilty about what happened with her and Troy at his graduation.

"For the past year and a half, he's sulked around, his grades went down, his football skills started fading away... He's not the Troy Bolton we all came to love and know. He even cheated on you twice, and had no guilt when he cheated on you the second time. He had no guilt for almost a year, until we had a strict talk with him. That's one thing that we always stressed on him. We taught him to be faithful, loyal, and loving. When he finally started getting back to normal, we felt like he would try harder to find someone he really loved. But the day he graduated, we went back to the car, and when he finally came to the car, he didn't want to talk. He wanted to go home. Since his graduation, he has been confined in his room. He won't come out. The only situation I have ever seen my son cry over was when he lost you and Griffin. He cried for the first couple days, then acted like he didn't care for a year. Then, after we talked sense into him, he cried for another month. Now, he's like a gothic person, and I'm really getting worried about him." Kay looked at Gabriella desperately. "Please, tell me if you know something. I need to know what's going on with my son. Please Gabriella... "

Gabriella shut the dishwasher door and wiped her hands off, then the counter. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Nothing can be told to CPS, Massachusetts State Court, or anybody that has to deal with the law, got it?"

Kay nodded. "I swear. I would never jeopradize your custody of Griffin, if it has to do with this."

Gabriella looked at her phone, remembering when she called CPS four days ago.

"When everyone left Troy's graduation, and Troy was left alone, I approached him."

"I bet he freaked out. He's been going nuts about seeing you for a long time now."

Gabriella smiled a little. "He told me that I was more beautiful than ever, and that I looked so much more older."

Kay sat at the bar. "So, what did you talk to him about?"

Gabriella sighed again. She felt extremely nervous.

"He wanted to see Griffin."

"And?"

"I told him the only ways he would be allowed to see Griffin, or to gain custody back.

Kay sat up in her chair. "Tell me a little more about how he could gain custody back of Griffin."

Gabriella sat across from Kay. "Well, we have to get married and stay married for a year until he gets custody. When we get married, he automatically has the right to see Griffin and to care for him, but he won't be responsible for Griffin, and can't claim Griffin. That's the first option. The next option is for me to award him custody if I think he's fit to be a father, which means I'll split my rights with Troy. There's searches, background checks, questions, and a lot more for Troy, and once he's approved, he'll be approved for joint custody. If he gets arrested, he could have his rights taken away again. It depends on the crime. But, if he gets criminal charges pressed, Griffin is automatically signed back over to me with full custody. If by some chance I'm involved in the crime and I get criminal charges, Griffin automatically gets taken away, out in a foster home, and gets put up for adoption. I can't even sign him over to a member of my family."

"Those are the only two options?"

"Yep."

Kay looked at the floor.

"Are you going to give him his rights back?"

Gabriella's guilt became larger.

"I've been thinking about it. I'm going to be completely honest with you, though. I am very seriously thinking about not giving him his rights back, only because if we get back together, and Troy cheats on me, Griffin and I are gone. I don't want to break my son's heart. If by chance, we don't get back together and I still award him his rights back, I'll still be breaking Griffin's heart." She just remembered something very important, which made her change her mind about awarding him custody.

"How would you still be breaking Griffin's heart?"

Gabriella watched as Griffin ran up the stairs. "Troy's going to college pretty soon."

"August." Kay added.

"And I can't go with Troy."

"Why?"

"Because I have straight A's all year, every year, a lot of schools are starting to fight over me. New York State isn't one of them. I applied for them, but they declined my application, saying that they didn't have the criteria for me to become an RN, which I thought was stupid. Doesn't every college have programs for doctors and nurses?"

Kay sighed. "I'm so sorry Gabriella."

Gabriella looked down at her fingers. "I don't know if I can be with Troy or not. When I was with him that day, I told him that if he wanted to, he could say his last goodbye to me. And, well, he did."

Kay became suspicious. "He just said bye to you? That's not like Troy."

She shook her head. "He kissed me. For the last time." A tear fell down her face. She quickly wiped it away, but other tears took its place. "I... I told him that I loved him... " She sobbed. "But I loved Griffin more... And I wasn't going to break Griffin's heart."

Kay got off of her chair, made her way to the other side of the bar, and hugged Gabriella.

"Oh Gabriella... " Kay kissed the top of her head. "I know you love him... "

"I love him so much Kay... " Gabriella cried into her shoulder. "I never wanted to take Griffin away... I'm only trying to protect him... "

"I understand sweetheart, I totally understand. When Troy was that little, the only thing I wanted to do was protect him. But Gabriella, Troy isn't going to cheat on you this time and he's not going to go out and party. He really wants to be there for you and Griffin."

Gabriella felt a small hand on her back. She turned around.

"Hey Griffie... " She wiped her tears away and sighed. "Is something wrong?"

He raised his arms up towards her, begging to be held. She lowered herself and raised him up. He wrapped his arms around her neck and layed his head on her shoulder. She held the back of his head and cried into his shoulder.

"I love you so much Griffin... " Gabriella sobbed.

Kay whispered something in Gabriella's ear. Gabriella nodded.

Kay got her phone out and began talking. When she hung up, she turned to Gabriella.

"Thank you." Kay took one of Gabriella's hands and smiled.

Gabriella pulled away from Griffin and pulled his orange and gray american eagle shirt down. He had some cute gray and orange american eagle shorts to match it. "You know, I pay so much for Griffin's clothes... " She laughed and tried to cheer herself up. "I want him looking at his best, all the time."

"And he always does!" Kay picked Griffin up from out of her lap. "He looks like a little stud!" She tickled his sides, and he started laughing. "He's got his daddy's blue eyes and his daddy's blonde hair!" She looked over at Gabriella. "Troy had blonde hair at that age."

She nodded and smiled. "I know." She wiped her eyes. "He's got Troy's nose, too."

"And your daddy's nose!" She threw Griffin into the air and caught him. Griffin laughed so hard his face turned red.

"Daddy?" As Griffin stopped laughing, he looked at Kay weirdly.

"He doesn't know what a daddy is?" Kay looked over at Gabriella.

"He knows what it is. When we're alone, I tell him that his daddy and I loved eachother a lot, and we had little Griffin. He knows that I love his daddy. But most of all, he knows that his daddy plays football. He loves that concept. He just doesn't know who his daddy is. And sometimes, he asks where his daddy is, and I tell him that his daddy went where we couldn't go."

Kay set Griffin down and went over to hug Gabriella. Gabriella bursted out crying again.

Then, they both heard a car door slam.

Gabriella immediatly got up from her seat. She ran to the door, opened it, and shut it behind her.

She bolted down the stone steps to her house, ran across the lawn. She saw him.

And she ran into his arms.

He picked her up, buried his face into her shoulder, and she buried her face into his neck. She wrapped her arms and legs around him.

"Troy... " Gabriella cried. "I'm so sorry... "

He rubbed her back and hoisted her up a little. "No, I'm sorry... "

Troy held her body tight against his. She wouldn't let go.

"I missed you so much... I need you so much... "

"I did too, I love you so much baby... "

"I love you too... " Gabriella kissed his neck and squeezed Troy tighter.

"I should have never did what I did. I'll never do it again, I promise. I can't lose you again... " He rubbed her back.

She pulled her head away from him to stare into his eyes. "You still got those same old Atlantic Ocean eyes... " She ran her fingers through his hair. "You still got the same old brown hair... " She kissed his lips once. "And you still have that big heart... "

"And you're still my beautiful baby girl." Troy set her on the ground.

She smiled a little through her tears. "Come on, you need to meet your son... " She tugged at his hand.

Gabriella dragged Troy up the stairs, then opened the door.

"Griffin, come here." She dropped Troy's hand and went into the living room. "There's someone here that I'd like for you to meet."

Troy stood at the front door. Kay smiled at him.

"She really did miss you. Wait until you see Griffin."

Gabriella walked into the main room, holding Griffin in her arms.

Troy's eyes lit up. "This is Griffin?"

Griffin turned to look at Troy. "Hi." Griffin waved.

"Hi Griffin." Troy's eyes watered a little. "I've waited a long 20 months to see him... "

Gabriella brushed Griffin's blonde hair forward and kissed his cheek. "Griffin, this is your daddy. Remember how I told you that daddy went somewhere where we couldn't go? Well, he came back to us Griffie."

Griffin stared at Troy. He held his arms out to Troy, wanting Troy to hold him.

Troy gladly took him from Gabriella. Griffin wrapped his arms around Troy's neck and squeezed him tightly. Griffin's face lit up.

Griffin looked at Gabriella with his mouth wide open. "DADDY!"

"Yeah baby, it's daddy!" Gabriella giggled and looked at Troy. "And daddy's here to stay, right?"

Troy looked at Griffin, then at Gabriella.

"Daddy's here to stay."


	32. Up In The Night

July 6th, 2010: 3:02 AM

"Griffin, stop poking me... "

Poke.

"Griffin, stop... " She rolled over on her bed. "Go to bed... " She mumbled.

The poke became cold and went.

"Stop... "

Poke. She heard a little whining.

"Colt?" She rolled over to the edge of the bed, squinting as she turned the lamp on. "What's wrong Coltie?"

He whimpered and backed away from the bed.

"You gotta go potty?" She threw the blankets off of her and got up, stretching. Colt became anxious and all whiny.

"What's wrong baby?" She began to walk towards the den door, but Colt went the other way.

"Colt, come on." She patted the side of her leg. "Let's go potty."

He yelped and went towards the other side of the room.

"Colt, let's go. Now!" She ran her fingers through her hair. "Come on!"

He stood outside Griffin's room with his ears cocked back and his eyes wide. Colt pranced back over to Gabriella, then went back to Griffin's door.

"What Colt?" She walked towards him. He went into Griffin's room, whimpering louder.

He sat down beside Griffin's crib.

"Is something wrong with Griffin?" She patted Colt's head and looked into Griffin's crib. "He's fine Colt." She whispered.

Colt didn't give up. He nudged her with his nose and whined louder.

Griffin rolled over and automatically started screaming.

"Griffin, what's wrong?" She picked him up out of his crib, and he screamed louder.

Troy walked into Griffin's room, yawning. "What's going on?"

"I don't know." Gabriella held the back of Griffin's head as he buried his face into her shoulder. "Colt came and woke me up. He lead me in here. When Griffin woke up, he just started crying."

"His stomach might hurt or he might have a headache... Something... " Troy stroked Colt's head as he approached Gabriella.

"Does your belly hurt?" Gabriella pushed him away for a couple seconds and looked into his eyes. Griffin shook his head.

"Does your head hurt?" She asked again. He shook his head again.

"Tell me what hurts, Griffie."

He rested his head on Gabriella's shoulder.

"I don't know what's wrong, Troy." She turned around.

Troy took Griffin from Gabriella and looked at him. "What's wrong little guy?"

He didn't answer. He hugged Troy and cried into his neck.

"You think he had a nightmare?" Gabriella stroked his hair.

"Ask him." Troy walked into Gabriella's bedroom and set Griffin on the bed.

"Griff, did you have a bad dream?"

Griffin nodded.

Troy brushed Griffin's hair forward a little. "You wanna sleep with mommy and I?"

He didn't respond. He continued to scream even harder.

Maria and Vincente` knocked at Gabriella's door. Gabriella went over to open it.

"What is going on?" Maria walked into the room. Vincente` followed close behind.

"Why is he screaming?" Vincente` went over to Griffin.

"He had a nightmare." Troy was trying to calm Griffin down a little.

"Hey peanut... " Vincente` squated down beside Troy. "You had a bad dream, huh?"

Griffin nodded.

"How about you and I go and get some ice cream upstairs?"

Griffin looked at Gabriella. He stopped crying.

"Dad, he's gonna get sugar rush!"

"The little peanut needs his ice cream, doesn't he?" Vincente` smiled at Griffin.

Gabriella groaned and rolled her eyes. "Fine, but if he doesn't sleep for the rest of the night, I'll make sure to wake you up to watch him."

Vincente` picked Griffin up and walked out of the room with him. Maria followed.

Troy plopped down on the bed and ran his fingers through his hair. Gabriella sat beside him and sighed.

"I told you that raising a child isn't easy." Gabriella yawned. "As a matter of fact, since we have been together, you haven't taken him to the bathroom once, you haven't fed him, you haven't dealt with his tantrums yet, you haven't attempted to change him, you haven't attempted to give him a bath... You haven't done anything Troy."

"I have so!" Troy seemed a little hurt.

"No you haven't!" She stood up. "All you want to do is sit on the couch and watch football!" She was fuming.

"I took him to his doctor's appointment, I played with him outside, and I took him to lunch a couple times!"

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Try doing my job."

"I'm trying, Gabriella! I'm doing the best I can! I gave up partying and drinking and girls for you and Griffin! That's a big step by itself!"

Gabriella's voice got low. "I gave you a second chance to be Griffin's father and to be with me. If you don't atleast start being Griffin's father, you'll be walking out that god damn door again, and this time, you won't see us ever again."

Troy became a little agitated, but he held it in. He didn't want to lose Gabriella and Griffin for the third time.

"Start stepping up and being there for your son. Got it?" Gabriella backed off a little.

Troy sighed. "I'm sorry. It's all new to me, Brie. I'll start helping out a little more."

"Thank you." She sighed and grabbed her pillows off of the bed, heading towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Troy got up from the bed.

"I need to get away from you and blow off some steam."

"Baby, come on." He grabbed her arm. "I'm sorry. If it makes you happy, I'll go home."

Gabriella looked at him. She melted in his eyes. "Troy- "

"Please?"

She sighed again and shook her head. She pulled her arm out of his grip and set her pillows back on the bed. "You're lucky I love you." She sat on the bed and put her face in her hands.

Colt walked into the room and rested his head on her knees. She patted him and kissed his head. "Good boy. Now go lay down."

He jumped on the bed.

"Not there silly, on the floor." She pointed to the floor. He gave her innocent eyes.

"Okay, okay." She smiled at him.

Troy walked up to her and squated in front of her. He set his hands on her knees. "You know I love you, right?"

She nodded.

"I gave up my entire life for you and Griff. I won't fuck it up again." He grabbed her chin and kissed her lips gently. She grabbed the back of his neck and deepended the kiss, pushing harder against his lips. He squeezed the bed with his hand and pushed back, rougher. He began to push her over, onto the bed, but she resisted and pulled back. Troy was hurt.

"Griffin." Gabriella smiled as she rested her forehead on Troy's forehead. "And my mom and dad."

Troy groaned. "Come on, a little quickie."

"No, Troy." She ran her fingers through his hair.

"Please?"

"No."

He stuck his bottom lip out.

"Stop it!" She laughed and pushed him off of her body. "Go check on Griffin."

"Fine." He stood up. "But I won't give up."

"Keep trying, asshole." She grinned at him. "You're not getting anything out of me."

He turned and left the room. She could hear him cussing. She giggled.

"Coltie, boys are stupid." She razzled the fur on his back. "First, we were trying to comfort Griffin with his nightmare, then we were arguing about raising Griffin, then we were about to have sex on my bed with Griffin and my parents upstairs." She rolled her eyes. "Damn, we all must have some problems, because we're disfunctional." She layed on her bed.

Colt raised his head as he heard Griffin cry. His ears cocked back, and he looked up at Gabriella.

"He's fine Colt. He's just scared from the nightmare."

Troy entered the room five minutes later, holding Griffin's hand.

"He asked if he could sleep with us tonight." Troy looked at Gabriella.

"He'll be up for the rest of the night, Troy."

"Gabriella, he's tired. Look at his eyes."

Griffin was about to fall over with sleepiness. His eyes were drooping and his legs were bowing. Troy set him on the bed.

"If he'll sleep, he can sleep with us." Gabriella pulled Griffin beside her. Troy climbed onto the left side of the bed and turned the light off. He pulled the blankets over himself, then made sure both Griffin and Gabriella were covered.

"Hey Brie?"

"What now, Troy... "

"I just wanted to say that I love you."

She reached across Griffin and grabbed his hand. "I love you too. Stop being an idiot, okay?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, I'll stop. You stop being an overdramatic horny cat, okay?"

"You know that our son is right between us- "

"He's asleep, Gabriella."

She rolled away from him. "Goodnight. Go to sleep."

"Right back at you."

As they all lie there, Gabriella said a couple last words.

"Disfunctional family we are."


	33. Pregnancy Scare

July 16th, 2010: 8:04 AM

She screamed bloody murder.

"GRIFFIN!" She screamed and tried to run towards him. Troy held her back.

"NO! MY BABY!" Gabriella reached out, but the intense heat burned her finger.

_Good morning Boston, this is J.W. Sanders live at the Boston news report. First story today is about a young woman who's son burned to death in an accidental fire. He was only two-_

Gabriella sat up quickly. She looked over, seeing that both Troy and Griffin were gone. Her heart slowed down a little as she listened to the radio, knowing that she only had a nightmare.

Her stomach churned, and she felt terribly dizzy.

She threw the blankets off of her and stood up, heading for the bathroom. But, she spotted Colt by the bathroom door and automatically knew that Griffin was in the bathroom.

"Troy, are you in there?" She knocked at the door.

"Yeah. Griffin had to go to the bathroom after he drank about two gallons of water."

"Alright. Thanks for taking him."

"No problem."

And Gabriella ran up the stairs to the guest bathroom, where she vomited in the toilet. She thought she might have a cold.

She found some cereal in the cupboard and poured a bowl. She sat at the kitchen bar and began to eat.

"Hi sweetheart." Her mother patted her head as she walked down the stairs.

Gabriella sighed. "Hey mom."

Maria opened the refridgerator. "You see upset. What is wrong?"

"Just don't feel good." Gabriella ran her fingers through her hair.

Her mother closed the refridgerator and walked over to Gabriella. She placed her right hand on Gabriella's forehead, then took it away. "You feel fine."

Gabriella tried to eat her cereal. "I'm probably just getting a cold."

"In the middle of July?"

"People get colds in July, mom. It's not impossible."

"But we never get sick in July."

"There's always a first time for everything." Gabriella looked up at her mom.

Maria looked deeply into Gabriella's eyes. "It is something more than that."

Gabriella looked back down at her cereal. "No there isn't."

"Yes there is, Gabriella! Do not lie to me!"

"Mom, let me handle it! I can handle things myself!" Gabriella squeezed her hair.

"Tell me sweetheart! Please! I am your mother- "

Gabriella shook her head. "It's nothing. Please just let me handle this."

"Gabriella... " Her mother sighed.

"What?" Gabriella looked up at her angrily. "I'm seventeen and I have a two year old! I think I can handle some things myself!"

"I just hate when you keep things from me!" Maria folded her arms. "Please just tell me... "

"Okay, okay!" Gabriella stood up and stared angrily at Maria. "I think I'm pregnant again, okay? Are you happy?"

Maria stumbled backwards a little like the words had pushed her.

"GABRIELLA!"

"Shh!" She covered her mom's mouth. "You wanna walk around the neighborhood and tell everyone?"

Maria started breathing hard. "My lord Gabriella! Not again! How- "

"How do you think it happened, mom? Do you think I stuck a god damn syringe up there and squirted sperm out of it?"

"I do not know!" Maria seemed hurt. "How could you possibly know right now? It has barely been a month since you and Troy got back together!"

Gabriella looked away and began to get a little shy.

Maria sensed something else.

"Gabriella Anne Montez, what are you hiding from me... "

A tear dripped from Gabriella's eye.

"Gabriella!"

Another tear.

"Tell me already!"

Gabriella couldn't find a simple way to explain it. So, she just said what the truth was.

"If there's a possibility that I am pregnant, it's not Troy's." Gabriella sobbed.

Maria was mortified.

"So you are telling me that the man you love, the father of your son, might not be the father of the next baby?"

Gabriella nodded slowly.

"Then who is?"

She shook her head. "I... I don't know."

"How do you not know? Who did you have sex with?"

"Nobody!"

"Gabriella!"

"Nobody, mom! I swear! I haven't even had sex with Troy since we got back together! The last time I had sex with him was when Griffin was conceived!"

"Then how can you possibly be pregnant?" Maria sat in the chair. "How?"

Gabriella sobbed again. "I think I got raped." She looked over at her mom. "I heard somebody walk into my bedroom about three months ago, and I couldn't see. But all I could remember was that somebody told me to shut up. They tied my hands down and my legs down, and gagged me... I thought it was a dream but... I missed my period, and that was two weeks ago... and yesterday, I kept feeling really sick and I got sick this morning and I was dizzy and- "

"Woah, slow down." Maria grabbed Gabriella's arm. "Gabriella, why did you not tell me this?"

"Because I handled it myself." Gabriella wiped her eyes and tried to calm down a little. "I just thought it was a dream. I moved on."

Maria rubbed her forehead. "You need to go to the doctor's, Gabriella."

"I have a pregnancy test in my closet. I'm going to take it the next time I go to the bathroom." Gabriella removed her arm from Maria's grip. "Don't you dare tell dad or Troy, or I swear to god I'll take Griffin and leave this house forever... " She began to walk down the stairs. "I'll never be able to come back here, or else dad will murder me, and Troy would kill me." She mumbled to herself. She wiped her tears away and entered the bedroom.

Troy walked out of the bathroom. Griffin and Troy both had huge smiles on their faces.

"Mommy!"

"What baby?" She picked him up.

"He peed in the toilet. All by himself. I didn't even have to help him." Troy sat on the bed. "After fifteen minutes."

"Really? Good job Griffin!" She kissed his cheek. "I'm so proud of you!"

Griffin giggled.

As Gabriella set him down, Troy came up behind Gabriella and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Are you okay? You didn't look like you felt very good when you were asleep. You tossed and turned all night."

"I'm fine. I just had a nightmare last night."

Gabriella stared at the closet.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah baby." Gabriella kissed his arm and removed herself from him. "Could you take the dogs outside for me?"

"Sure." Troy called the dogs as he exited the room.

And Gabriella grabbed the test from her closet and entered her bathroom.

...

Gabriella ran upstairs and into her mom and dad's bedroom. Her dad was gone for work, and her mom was making the bed.

"What did it say, sweetheart?" Maria stopped making the bed as she saw Gabriella in tears. "Oh no... "

"No, mom... " She sighed in relief. "I'm not pregnant."

Maria also sighed in relief. "Then why are you crying?" She laughed a little.

"I'm happy that I don't have to lie to Troy." Gabriella laughed also.

"This should teach you a lesson." Maria continued making the bed. "Use protection, and keep on your birth control."

Gabriella ran her fingers through her hair. "I haven't had sex since Griffin was conceived." She giggled a little.

"Good." Maria finished the bed.

"Although Troy's been bugging me, I haven't budged yet. I'm too scared of getting pregnant again."

"Even though you made that promise?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "That promise wasn't crap. They didn't say anything about the hard part of taking care of a baby. Just that we would all dress up our babies in the same outfits and walk them in the park, and how we would watch them take their first steps and say their first words... Those were good moments, yeah, but I wish I would have never gotten pregnant."

"I am glad you regret it. Although you love your son, it is not the brightest thing to do when you're fifteen."

"You were my age when you got pregnant with me, am I right?"

"Yep." Maria smiled. "Your dad was also seventeen."

"Well, atleast I'm not pregnant."

"That is a good thing."

"Well, I'll be back for dinner."

"Where are you going?"

"Troy's taking Griffin and I to the park."

"Oh alright. I will see you later."

"Okay."

And Gabriella left the house.

But still, she wondered why she missed her period.


	34. Griffin's Second Birthday

July 27th, 2010: 2:18 PM

Griffin's second birthday had came fast.

It was a small party, held in the Montezs' backyard. They had the pool filled with fresh water, picnic tables out, and the grill was smoking hot with burgers and hot dogs. There was a blue cake sitting in on the kitchen table that said "Happy Birthday Griffin" across the top, with 2 candles at the bottom. It had a football on the side, and it was colored green for the Jets. The dogs were running wild, Griffin was having a blast, everyone was in the pool, and the day was great.

Gabriella and Troy had been out at the mall, the toy store, and every possible store they could find to get Griffin presents. They spent the night at Troy's house wrapping them all. Of course, their parents had spent a fair amount of money on presents for Griffin, and Harvey and Caitlin bought Griffin a couple things, but Troy and Gabriella wanted to go shopping at night while Griffin was asleep. Since Troy had an outrageously paying job, and didn't have to pay rent or anything to live at his parents' house, he used his entire check to buy Griffin presents. Gabriella wasted $550 on a mini black 4 seater truck for Griffin, because he wanted a truck just like Troy's. Luckily, downtown, they knew someone in town that customized motorized vehicles for small children. It had seat covers and a nice steering wheel, and it looked just like... Troy's truck.

Troy pulled into Gabriella's driveway. They both got out and immediatly went to the back of the truck. They covered Griffin's truck with a blanket, unloaded it, and Gabriella drove it to the backyard and hid it on the deck. As she went back to get more presents, Troy had most of them off of the truck. Gabriella grabbed half of them, and Troy grabbed half of them, and they made their way to the backyard.

Griffin and Jack opened the gate to the pool. Griffin had a towel on, but once he spotted Gabriella and Troy, the towel flew off of him.

"MOMMY! DADDY!" He screamed and began to run towards them. Jack began to laugh, and so did everyone else.

Gabriella set the presents in front of the truck to hid it. "Hey baby!" She got off of the deck and held her arms out. "Happy birthday!"

He ran into her arms and hugged her tightly. She looked at Troy with a big smile on her face.

"Look at what we got you Griffie!" Gabriella pointed to the presents that were stacked double his size. He got extremely excited.

"You have to wait, though. You can open up your presents after we all eat, okay?"

Griffin pouted.

"It's worth waiting, Griffin." She kissed his cheek. "Go give daddy a big hug. He needs one."

She set Griffin down, watching as he bolted over to Troy on the deck. "Daddy, daddy!" He had a huge smile on his face.

Troy stopped stacking presents and turned around. "Hey little buddy!" Troy picked Griffin up and hugged him. "Happy birthday!"

Griffin giggled.

Troy couldn't see the pool from where he was standing. It was behind their large shed. "Who's here, Griffin?"

Griffin's face scrunched up as he tried to think. "Mamaw, Papa, Gramma Kay, Granpa Jack, Harley, Caitlin, Leafy, Coltie, Henry... " Griffin looked up at Troy.

"Okay, good. I didn't want this to be a huge family affair." He said to himself as he set Griffin on his feet.

Gabriella walked onto the deck and grabbed Griffin's hand. "How old are you?"

He put two fingers up.

"Good job! What's your birthday?"

"July 27." He grinned cheesily.

"What's your whole name?"

He said it quickly. "Griffin Harley Bolton."

Troy looked down at Griffin. "Is Papa and Mamaw in the pool?"

Griffin nodded.

"Well, I can see why we can't leave them alone with him." Troy picked Griffin up from under his arms and held him up for Gabriella to see.

Griffin's stomach growled.

"Oh my god mom... " Gabriella sighed. "Didn't bother to feed him this morning... " She pulled the elastic band of his swimming trunks towards her. "Didn't bother to put him in a waterproof diaper." She looked up at Troy. "I don't know what her problem is, but Griffin can't stay like this." She took Griffin from Troy and set him down on the deck. "He was probably sinking every time he got in the water."

Gabriella screamed and Troy yelled as they felt arms around their bodies. Their backs became soaked.

"DAMN IT CAITLIN!" Gabriella turned around, laughing hysterically. "Why did you get me wet?"

"Because you're my best friend!" She laughed.

Troy pushed Harvey off of him. "Thanks for the friendly greeting, Harvey."

"No problem." Harvey laughed.

Gabriella picked up Griffin. "I guess I've gotta go swim, now. Let me get Griffin ready and I'll be back out." Gabriella was still laughing as she walked into the house.

Troy took his shirt off and his jeans. "Didn't think I had my trunks on, did ya?" Troy grinned.

Harvey laughed. "I'll get you one of these days."

...

As Jack and Maria sat in the hot tub, Maria and Vincente` waded at the shallow end of the pool. Caitlin was swimming around with the dogs, and Troy and Harvey messed around with the Volleyball net.

Griffin ran up the stairs and to the pool. Maria and Vincente` grabbed him at the shallow end and put his floaties on, and he played at the shallow end with them.

Troy put his sunglasses on and leaned against the edge of the pool. He put his arms up on the edge. "I'm done, Harvey. Go play in doggie spit with Caitlin." He grinned.

"Hey!" Caitlin growled. "I am not playing in doggie Spit!"

"Of course not!" Troy laughed.

Henry was standing on the edge of the water. He was whining and crying, pacing back and forth along the pool's edge.

"Henry, come here." Troy called him. Henry cried a little more as he walked towards Troy.

Troy grabbed his collar and pushed his hind towards the pool. "I won't let you sink Henry." Troy gave him one last shove, and Henry fell into the water. Troy held the 55 pound dog up.

"God Henry, are you pregnant?" Troy groaned.

Henry grunted and kicked his front and back legs.

Gabriella walked up the pool stairs. She wore a blue and orange bikini that made Troy go wild for her.

"The heiress comes to claim her throne." Troy helped Henry onto the pool deck.

"Yeah yeah." Gabriella rolled her eyes and sat on the edge of the pool. "I'm just going to sit here with my feet in the water."

"Come on baby, get in. It feels so good with the hot sun!"

Gabriella razzled his hair. "Not today little boy!"

He looked around. "I have a question."

"What is it?"

"How could your dad afford such a huge pool?"

The pool was huge and weird shaped. It had a shallow end by the far end of the pool deck, and by the stairs was a nine feet area. Troy and Gabriella usually stayed in the five foot area, going on the six foot area. There was a net and a volleyball at the four feet area. At the three feet area, there was a slide and a whirlpool off to the side. It was the shape of an eliptical rectangle. It looked like a pool from Disneyworld, and was about as big as one of the biggest pools there.

"My dad bought the land with the pool on it. It was the community pool a long time ago. Since we have about two acres, he just decided to keep it because we love to swim."

"How did he afford the other things in the backyard?" He took her hands and moved over to the four feet area.

"The deck he built himself. The sandy playground in the back was all built by him and his best friend for me when I was a little girl, and it's all Griffin's now... Um... Well, the agility course he got for a good deal. Colt and Leafy love that... "

"No, I mean, how does he get the money?"

Gabriella laughed. "Troy, my dad's family is filthy rich. They own the Key Banc tower downtown and all the restaurants in Northern Florida. I've told you this before."

"You know me." Troy laughed. "I can't remember shit."

"Well, engrave it in your football-wired brain!" Gabriella knocked on his head.

"Okay, okay, it's engraved!" Troy grabbed the edge of the pool.

"Good!"

Troy moved away from the edge of the water and grabbed her feet. "Come on baby, get in."

"No Troy."

"Please?"

She sighed. "If it'll make you happy... " She lowered herself into the pool and pulled her hair into a ponytail. "Happy?"

"Oh yeah." He smirked and grabbed her waist in his strong hands. He gripped her sides and she giggled a little. "Troy, quit."

He got closer to her and was inches away from her lips. "No, you quit."

She smild devilishly and gripped the sides of the pool. "You quit."

"You started it." He said softly and got even closer. She leaned back and was beginning to giggle again.

"No I didn't." She placed her hand on his left side and jerked the waistband up higher. "Don't you dare."

"I'll do what I wanna do, Montez." His lips brushed hers, barely touching.

"Try me, Bolton." She jerked the waistband down to it's original spot.

He took his hands off his waist and placed them on the edge of the pool. "I will." He said smartly and connected his lips with hers. They both engaged in a powerful kiss.

Troy towered over her, but they both pushed on. She gripped the waistband in her hand and squeezed it tightly. His fingers curled up, and he kept the smirk on his face. She did also.

"Hey, no PDA!" Vincente` yelled to Troy and Gabriella. "I enjoy being a Papa to only one grandkid!" He nudged at Griffin. "Hey, go tell them that Papa said 'Gabriella, Troy, no PDA!'"

Griffin got out of the pool and began running towards them. As he ran, he kept reapeating. "Gabriella, Troy, no PDA!"

As he got behind Gabriella he poked her continuously. "Gabriella, Troy, no PDA!" He said twice. Troy finally pulled slowly away from Gabriella with the same smirk on his face. Gabriella turned to Griffin and began to yell.

"And who do you think you are?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Gabriella, Troy, no PDA!" He poked her shoulder.

"GRIFFIN, NO PDA!" She grabbed his sides and picked him up. "GRIFFIN, NO PDA!" She yelled as she tickled him. Troy grabbed his feet and also began tickling. He laughed like crazy.

"Ga-br-iell-a, T-ro-y, n-o PD-A!" He laughed hysterically and kept repeating the same words.

"Griffin, no PDA!" Gabriella began rapidly kissing him all over his face. "Griffin, no PDA!"

He started kicking as he was laughing. "STOP! STOP!" He screeched and continued to laugh.

"NO PDA!" Gabriella continued on.

When she finally stopped, Griffin laughed for five minutes after that. "No PDA... " He laughed. "No PDA."

Gabriella was giggling. She looked up at Troy. "I think this little boy needs presents, don't you think daddy?"

Troy grabbed Griffin out of her arms. "I think he does."

"PRESENTS!" Griffin screamed. "Mamaw, Papa, Gramma Kay, Grampa Jack, presents!" He ran around ar Troy set him on the pool deck.

"Are we starting presents?" Kay got out of the hot tub with Jack.

"I kinda blew it for him." Gabriella pulled herself out of the water, and Troy followed.

"Well, it is his birthday, so he shall do whatever he wants to do!" Maria smiled and climbed the steps up to the deck. "I guess we all should dry off, and get his presents going!"

...

"My lord Troy, how much money did you spend on these presents?" She gasped as she looked at the pile of presents stacked higher than her short body. They were taller than all of the girls, but all of the men could see over them.

"About a grand, plus what Gabriella payed for the customized t-r-u-c-k."

She began to breathe hard. "I've never seen so many presents in my entire life!"

"He's gonna be so happy when he sees the t-r-u-c-k that I payed 550 dollars for." Gabriella plopped down in a chair beside the presents.

"Take a seat, Caitlin." Gabriella patted the chair beside her. "You ready to see one shocked little kid?"

"I guess." Caitlin looked kind of sad as she sat down.

"What's wrong sissy?" Gabriella grabbed one of Caitlin's hands.

"Nothing really." She sighed.

"Come on, you know you can tell me."

Caitlin looked at the ground. "I'm jealous."

"Why?" Gabriella laughed.

"If Ursala would have lived, I could be doing this for her... " A tear dripped from her face.

"Oh Caitlin... " Gabriella pulled her into a hug. "I told you, this might be one of the good moments, but it's not as easy to take care of a baby as it looks. Trust me."

"I just wish she would have lived... " Caitlin sobbed.

Gabriella looked at Troy. He shrugged and started to dry Griffin off.

"Listen Cait, I told you that Griffin has no godparents... "

"So?"

"Well, since you made me and Troy Ursala's godparents, if its okay with Troy, I can put you and Harvey as Griffin's godparents on his birth certificate. That means that if anything happens to Troy and I, you and Harvey would be awarded automatic joint custody over Griffin. Both sets of grandparents would be godparents, too. But you guys would have major custody over him. How does that sound?"

Caitlin pulled away from Gabriella and sniffed. "Would you really do that for me?"

"Of course. You're my only friend, and best friend, and sissy." Gabriella giggled. "And Troy's only friend is Harvey."

"I would be honored to." She smiled. "Thank you so much."

"I wouldn't want anyone else to take care of Griffin for me." Gabriella sat back in her seat. "Is that okay, Troy?"

He looked over at her and let Griffin go. "What?"

She laughed. "I'll tell you later. Let's just get the show on the road."

"Alright." He stood up and cracked his back. "You ready to open some presents, little guy?"

"Presents!" Griffin reached for one, but Gabriella grabbed his sides and pulled him away.

"Wait until Grandma Kay and Grandpa Jack come out, okay?"

He pouted.

"Don't you dare! You won't open up any presents if you pout!"

He shut his mouth immediatly.

Troy plopped on the chair in front of Gabriella on the other side of the presents. Vincente` and Maria pulled their chairs up to the outer side of the circle. Harvey sat beside Troy.

"Gramma Kay! Grampa Jack!" Griffin got away from Gabriella and ran into the house. She could hear them inside. "Gramma Kay! Grampa Jack!" He was screaming. He was dragging one of each of their hands as he came out.

"Okay, okay!" Jack picked Griffin up. "Calm down Griff!"

Griffin whined. "Presents... "

Kay set up two chairs beside Maria and Harvey. Jack sat beside Harvey, and Kay sat next to Maria.

Jack set Griffin down.

He dove into the presents.

"Presents!" Griffin was going haywire.

"Okay, okay!" Troy laughed and handed him the first present. "Let's get going."

...

An hour later, every single present was opened and lying in a pile at the other side of the deck. The truck still sat there, uncovered.

Griffin started towards the large pile of his opened presents, but Gabriella pulled him towards her by his arm.

"Wait Griffin, there's one more."

He looked around.

"Right here." Troy pointed to the truck covered by the blanket.

"Pull the blanket off, Griffie." Gabriella pushed him in front of the truck.

He looked at her weirdly.

"Pull it off." Troy pointed to the blanket again.

Griffin grabbed the blanket and tugged at it. It slithered off of the truck.

Griffin went crazy.

"DADDY'S TRUCK!" He screamed and pointed with his mouth wide open. "TRUCK!"

"Its your truck baby!" Gabriella grinned. "You get to drive it like daddy drives his truck!"

Griffin bounced around and put his hands all over the truck. He even kissed it a couple times.

"You wanna drive it?" Jack got up. "Let's take it out to the pavement at the end of the lawn."

Troy stood up. "Griffin, just wait. Let us get the truck down there first, okay?"

Griffin was rocketing out of his shoes. He was bouncing around happily and making everyone laugh.

As they got the truck to the pavement, Troy and Jack stood back a little.

"There you go, Griffin." Jack smiled. "Get in your truck."

Griffin happily climbed into the driver's seat of the truck. He looked up at Troy.

"Go on. Drive around, Griff." Troy squated beside the truck. "Press that pedal down there with your foot, and turn the truck with the wheel." He backed up.

Griffin picked it up quickly. He stomped on the pedal, jerking the car forward a little. He laughed hysterically.

Once he finally got the hang of it, he held the pedal down and moved forward again. He began to drive around independantly.

Gabriella and Troy were both grinning like crazy, watching him drive around like he had been doing it his entire life.

That was one of the last good days that Gabriella had experienced.

Everything went downhill from Griffin's birthday.


	35. Broken Promises

September 25th, 2010: 12:03 PM

Gabriella got out of her mom's car and went to the back, where she unstrapped Griffin and set him on the pavement.

"Thanks for giving me a ride, dad. We'll see you in a couple days."

"Alright sweetheart. Be good, peanut." Vincente` smiled at Griffin.

"Bye Papa, bye Mamaw." Griffin waved as Gabriella picked him up.

"Bye peanut!" Maria yelled from the window as they drove away.

Gabriella turned on her heel and stared at the dock.

"Wow, has it changed since the last time I was here." She kissed Griffin's cheek. "The last time I came here to eat was before I got pregnant with you." She set him down.

The Bluegill Dock was one of her favorite places to eat. She used to go to the Bluegill Dock with Haylie, Elise, Brieanne, and Caitlin when they were around thirteen and fourteen, and back when they were even around eleven. It held a lot of precious moments, before the promise, and before the snobby bitches came out of Brieanne, Elise, and Haylie. She used to sit at the corner table on the dock and watch the Bluegills, Angelfish, and other small and large fish roam around in the lake called Atlantic. Where Troy's small dock was at his house was the West side of Atlantic Lake, and the Bluegill Dock was on the East side of the Lake. She loved Atlantic Lake, period. It was the prettiest blue lake in the state of Massachusetts.

She walked Griffin to her favorite table, where the dock met the beautiful lake. Griffin became suddenly fascinated with the fish in the water. He pointed.

"Those are fishies, Griffin." She leaned over the edge of the dock.

"Fishies?" He tried to touch the water, but couldn't reach it. He frowned.

"Fish aren't meant to be picked up, baby." She ran her hand across his soft hair. "They have to stay in the water."

"Oh." He looked up at her.

"They breathe water, like we breathe air. But if they're taken out of the water, they can't breathe the air like we can. We can't breathe water either, or can we?"

He shook his head.

"Smart boy." She grinned and turned around, leaning against the dock. "I wonder where everyone is." She looked around. Most of the tables were empty.

No black truck in the parking lot.

Gabriella sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Damn it Troy, you better not mess this one up." She whispered to herself.

"Daddy?" Griffin turned around. "Daddy?"

"No baby, daddy's not here yet." She stroked his hair and looked down at him. "Just wait, okay?"

Griffin whined a little. A couple tears fell down his cheeks.

This was exactly what Gabriella wanted to avoid when she got back with Troy.

Heartbreak.

"Daddy's going to be here Griffin. I promise. I'll make him come if it kills me."

Griffin began to cry a little harder. He began to get angry.

"Daddy!" He stomped his foot and scrunched his face up. It began to turn red as tears flew faster down his cheeks.

"Griffin, stop it!" Gabriella grabbed his hand and squated in front of him. "I told you Griffin, daddy's coming! Stop being a little ass!" She growled. Griffin didn't back down.

"Fine, throw a fit." She let go of his hand and crossed her arms, watching the parking lot.

There was no black truck in sight.

And for the next ten minutes, there was no black truck.

"I'm gonna text daddy right now." Gabriella pulled her phone out of her pocket.

"Why are you so late to lunch?" Gabriella texted and sat down at the table she picked out.

She waited impatiently. It was five minutes before she got a text from him.

"Can't make it. Sorry."

Her blood boiled.

"Why not?" She texted and slammed her phone on the table and squeezed her hair.

"This is bullshit." Gabriella whispered to herself. "Fucking bullshit."

Griffin was sitting on the edge of the dock when she turned around. He had his hand on the bar that kept him from falling in. He was sadly looking at the fish in the water.

"Heartbreak, Troy." Her eyes watered. "What I didn't want to put my baby through."

She felt her phone buzzing.

"Plane was delayed."

She rolled her eyes and dialed his number. She held the phone to her ear.

"Troy- "

"Gabi?"

"What the hell Troy? You promised Griffin that you'd be at the Bluegill Dock for lunch, and now he's heartbroken!" Gabriella looked over at Griffin.

"I'm so sorry Gabriella, I really meant to come this time! The plane was delayed for four days because of the leftover hurricane winds. I just can't come."

She became serious. "Drive Troy."

"Baby, I can't drive from New York."

"Drive Troy, or I swear to god- "

"Gabriella, please, just calm down a little. It would still take me a day or two to drive from here to Massachusetts."

She shook her head as a tear dripped down her cheek. "You're ripping your son's heart apart. He is completely heartbroken, Troy. He wants to see you... "

"Let me talk to him." Troy sighed.

"You don't deserve to- "

"Please... " He sounded a little desperate.

Gabriella sighed and turned around. "Griffie baby, daddy's on the phone."

Griffin looked up at her. "No!" His face was stained with tears.

"Griffin, come on."

"No!" Griffin folded his arms.

"Griffin Harley- "

"NO!" Griffin sobbed.

She ran her fingers through her hair. "He doesn't want to talk to you."

"Tell him that I really need to talk to him."

"He's pissed, Troy!"

"Just tell him!"

Gabriella groaned. "Daddy really wants to talk to you."

Griffin shook his head.

"Hold on Troy." Gabriella set her phone on the table. "Listen Griffin, daddy doesn't mean to break his promises. His plane isn't coming for a couple more days because of that big storm we had. He really, really wants to talk to you."

Griffin turned around. "Daddy not nice... " Griffin cried.

"He just can't come today. It's not his fault."

Griffin stood up. "Why?"

"I told you baby, his plane can't come because of the big storm."

Griffin sobbed once more. He finally walked towards Gabriella.

She smiled at him a little and picked him up, setting him on her lap.

"Alright Troy, here he is."

She handed the phone to Griffin.

"Hey little man, I miss you."

Griffin stayed silent.

"I know that you haven't seen me for a couple weeks, and I'm really sorry. I've been playing football here in New York and I haven't had time to see you and mommy. When I finally got a plane, it couldn't go to Massachusetts because of that big storm. But I promise that I'll be there in a couple days, okay?"

Griffin looked helplessly up at Gabriella. "Now." Griffin sobbed.

"I can't Griffin... I'm sorry... " Troy felt horrible.

"Now!" Griffin yelled.

"I'm so sorry Griffin, I'm so so so sorry... "

Griffin handed the phone to Gabriella and ran away from her. He sat at the edge of the dock again.

"Troy... " Gabriella closed her eyes. "How am I supposed to deal with him? He's going to be a total nightmare!"

"I don't know baby... "

"This is your fault Troy." Gabriella became a little angry. "This is your mess to fix, so fix it before we disappear again." And she hung up on him.

"I hate daddy." Griffin sobbed from the corner.

"No you don't Griffin, don't say that. You love your daddy, and he loves you baby."

"No." He shook his head.

"Yes he does Griffin." She looked at the shack to her right. "Do you want some chicken fingers and fries? Daddy told me to buy those for you."

Griffin turned his head and nodded.

"Come on." She held her hand out. "Let's go get something to eat."

He sadly stood to his feet and grabbed her hand. She picked him up and hugged him tightly.

"Mommy loves you more than anything Griffin. Daddy loves you more than anything too. Don't forget that." She stroked his soft hair. "I love you so much baby."

Griffin sniffled and rested his head on her shoulder.

...

As Gabriella sat alone watching Griffin eat, she began to think about when Troy used to watch her eat all the time.

How ironic.

She felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Would you like to come eat with us? You look lonely." An old lady voice whispered.

She turned around.

"Oh, no, I'm fine. Thank you."

The old lady smiled. "No sweetie, I insist. What seems to be wrong?"

Gabriella looked over at Griffin. "My boyfriend promised to take my son and I out to lunch here, because his plane was landing at around 11:30 from New York, but it turns out that his plane was delayed because of the hurricane."

"Oh, that's too bad." The old lady frowned. "But I insist. I don't bite." She laughed.

Gabriella smiled a little. "Alright, I guess it won't hurt." Gabriella grabbed Griffin's plate from him. "Let's go sit at this table Griffie." She pointed to the old lady's table.

He gladly sat directly across from the old lady. Gabriella set his plate down and sat beside him.

"Why are you here all alone?"

"Oh dear, my husband is late. He said he would be here at 12:30. He is always running late." She folded her hands on the table.

"Sounds like my boyfriend." Gabriella giggled.

"So, this boyfriend of yours... Why is he in New York?"

"He's going to New York State to become a professional football player. He's also taking classes in law."

"So you didn't go to college?"

"I can't yet. I'm just becoming a senior at West Falcon."

"And you already have a child?" The old lady was shocked.

"Yep." Gabriella looked over at Griffin. "I got pregnant right after I turned fifteen. He just turned two in July."

"Kids these days." The lady shook her head. "Back when I was a young'n, having a child before you were married was a disgrace. But then, you were expected to have children after you were married."

Gabriella sighed. "I have to say, I was stupid for making a promise to get pregnant with my friends. I regret that promise and ever getting pregnant... But I don't regret my son. He's the best thing I have in my life. If his dad wasn't an asshole, we would be eating with him today."

The old lady looked at her hands. "Ah... He will come around. Just give it time."

"I don't have time for him." Gabriella looked up at the old lady. "I can't wait for him and break my son's heart."

"You need to trust him. He soon will have a job, and will come back to you two. He just needs time to build his career."

Gabriella sighed. "I wish he could be here for us. Griffin needs him... " Gabriella moved a strand of hair out of her face. "I need him."

"Give it time, sweetheart." The old lady smiled. "I waited ten years for my husband. You can wait also."

Gabriella noticed that Griffin was finished. "Well, I have to call my mom and get her to come pick us up. I'm sorry if I hit you hard with my emotions."

"No no, you didn't. I understand what you are going through."

"Thank you for letting me talk to you." Gabriella set Griffin's plate on the dirty dishes pile for the janitor to clean up.

The old lady smiled. "What is your name?"

Gabriella picked Griffin up. "I'm Gabriella, and this is my son Griffin."

"Nice meeting you Gabriella." The old lady grabbed her cane. "I am Meridith."

"Thank you very much, Meridith." Gabriella smiled. "Well, I have to go."

"Take care, sweetheart."

"You too." Gabriella walked into the parking lot.

She turned around to wave at the old lady.

The old lady wasn't there.

Gabriella became spooked. She frantically called her mother.

"Hey mom, Troy isn't coming. Please hurry and pick us up... " Gabriella turned around. Meridith still wasn't there.

"Why not?"

"I'll explain later! Just hurry and pick me up! Please!" She hung up on her mom.

It was the weirdest thing she had ever experienced.


	36. Daddy's Coming Home

September 29th, 2010: 2:01 PM

Gabriella pulled her SUV into her driveway. As she turned it off, her phone began to ring.

She pulled it out of her pocket and looked at it.

Troy.

She opened the text and read it.

"Are you still mad at me?"

She leaned back.

"You broke another promise. Of course I'm still mad."

She got a text back quickly.

"I told you I was sorry. Please don't be mad anymore."

Gabriella sighed and looked at her house.

"When can you take a flight to get here?"

"I don't know baby. The aftermath winds are tearing things up here in New York."

"Try to get a flight as soon as possible."

"I will. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Alright."

"I love you."

She didn't respond to that text. She just slipped her phone back into her pocket and leaned against the steering wheel.

"Why does life have to be so tough?"

She got the strength to get up and go into the house.

It had been a rough day at school.

"Hi sweetheart!" Her mother ran to kiss her. Gabriella ignored her.

"What is wrong?" Maria followed her as she sat down in the living room chair.

"Troy is what's wrong." Gabriella covered her eyes with her arm.

"Still upset about him not coming?"

"You bet I am."

"He will come Gabriella. Trust him. He is a good man."

"Yeah, sure."

"He is."

Gabriella snickered sarcastically. "He's just rushing the airport for the next plane to Massachusetts."

Maria frowned. "You know he is trying."

"Not hard enough."

Maria sighed.

Gabriella sighed also. "Where's Griffin?"

"Taking a nap. He was very tired after your father took him to the park."

"Oh." Gabriella felt a wet nose touching her hand. "Hi Coltie."

Colt wagged his entire rear end.

"I'm surprised you're away from Griffin."

He whined a little and set his chin on the edge of the chair.

"What's wrong boy?" She scratched his head. "Got girl problems? So does Troy."

He whined a little louder.

"What?"

He barked in a whiny tone.

"Is it Griffin?" Gabriella sat up.

Colt backed away and barked four times. He began to swirl around frantically.

Gabriella became worried. She got up from the chair and followed Colt downstairs.

He nudged her bedroom door open with his nose and sat down beside Griffin, wagging his tail.

"Colt, he's perfectly fine." She rolled Griffin over.

Colt persisted. He cried and spun around in circles.

"Stop Colt, he's just fine."

Colt became crazy. He woke Griffin.

Griffin sat up and immediatly began to scream.

"Griffin..." Gabriella squated down. "I'm sorry for waking you up baby, stop crying."

He wasn't crying because he had woken up. He was crying because something hurt. Gabriella could tell the difference.

"What's wrong, Griffie? Tell mommy what hurts."

Griffin screamed harder. Maria finally ran downstairs.

"What is going on?"

"I don't know. He won't tell me what's going on."

"Maybe he got scratched."

"He wouldn't be crying like this."

"I do not know then... "

Gabriella placed her hand on Griffin's back. He jumped and began to cry harder.

"Is it your back?" Gabriella quickly pulled her hand away.

Griffin nodded.

Gabriella's heart began to race.

"Oh god, Spina Bifida... hospital... hurry- "

"Hold on sweetheart. Look at his back first. Make sure he did not just scratch it."

Gabriella moved around to his backside and lifted his shirt up a little. "No scratches mom. Spina Bifida- "

"Let me call the paramedics... " Maria ran out of the room.

...

Griffin sat alone in a room. Gabriella waited anxiously outside. She could hear his screams from outside the room.

He was consistantly screaming 'Mommy'.

Gabriella quickly called Troy.

"Gabriella? Hey- "

"Troy, Griffin's in the hospital." She was sobbing.

"Why? What's wrong?" Troy sat on his bed.

"I... I don't know... He woke up screaming and said that his back was hurting... "

Troy's eyes got wide. "Oh no... "

"I need you... " Gabriella sobbed and cried harder. "I really need you here... "

Troy's eyes watered. "I don't know if I can get a flight down there, baby... If I can, I'll call you, but if I can't, call me and give me updates."

"Please try... "

"I'll try as hard as I can. Just hang in there Brie... I love you, and tell Griffin I love him."

"We love you too... " Gabriella hung up and cried into her mom's shoulder.

Fifteen minutes later, a doctor emerged from Griffin's room. Griffin had finally stopped screaming.

"Gabriella?" The doctor approached her.

"That's me." She stood up and wiped her tears away. "Is he okay?"

The doctor rubbed his forehead. "Well, something has gone terribly wrong with his body. His body cells are attacking the weak spots on his body, which is the Spina Bifida. The nerves where the Spina Bifida infected his spine were being attacked by his body cells. We gave him some safe painkillers, and it has stopped the pain for now."

"How long will this last?"

"I'm going to say approximately a week to a month. It could end tonight for all we know."

Gabriella looked at her mom. "Can we take him home?"

The doctor sighed. "We have to keep him for four days of observation."

Gabriella nodded. "Thank you. Can I go see him?"

"Sure. He's been wanting to see you."

She rushed into his room, telling her mom to stay in the waiting room.

She approached his bed. "Hey Griffie... " She ran her fingers through his hair and smiled a little at him. "Are you okay now?"

Griffin nodded sadly. "Daddy... "

Gabriella took one of his hands. "Daddy's trying to find a plane to get down here. If he can't, he's going to call and talk to you on the phone."

Griffin played with her bracelet. "Fishies?"

She giggled a little. "Yeah, those are fishies on my bracelet. Here." She took the bracelet off and tightened it on his wrist. "You wear it."

He smiled a little. "Fishies."

Her phone rang.

"Troy?" She held the phone to her ear.

"I've got a private plane. He's gonna get me there in about three or four hours. I've got it assured with my principal that I can get two weeks off to come home."

Gabriella sighed in relief. "Thank god. Please, hurry."

"I will baby. I'll see you in a couple hours."

"Okay, bye."

Griffin looked at her. "Daddy?"

She smiled happily and kissed his hand. "Daddy's coming home baby."

Griffin became exited. He sat up and started blabbing like crazy.

"Yep, daddy's coming home... "

It would be one crazy return.


	37. Good Memories In A Bad Situation

September 29th, 2010: 12:24 PM

Gabriella waited impatiently outside.

"Troy, hurry... " She wiped her tears away. "Three to four hours my ass... "

She felt a hand on her back.

"Troy?" She turned quickly and sighed. "Oh, hi dad."

"Hi sweetheart... " Vincente` sighed. "I think you need to sit."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, you just seem really agitated." Vincente` waved to the bench. "Take a seat."

"I'm fine." She said, shaking. "Really... "

He grabbed one of her hands. "Sit, or else I'll make you sit. You're shaking and crying, you need to rest."

Gabriella reluctantly sat. Her dad sat beside her. She became very antsy and was jiggling her leg.

"Now listen Gabriella, your mother and I have been talking about you and Troy."

"What about Troy and I?"

"Well... " Vincente` rubbed his head and closed his eyes. "I just... We don't think that you two should stay together, for Griffin's sake."

Gabriella sat silent. It was like her mouth was frozen. The snowflakes falling from the sky didn't help, because all she was wearing was a pair of jeans and a light t-shirt.

"We don't want Griffin getting hurt again. He's small enough right now that if he doesn't see Troy again, he won't remember him." Vincente` looked at her. "Are you okay?"

Gabriella sniffed and nodded. She wiped her eyes. "I know dad, please just don't put any more pressure on me that's already there." She tucked her hair behind her ears.

"We love you, Gabriella, and we love Griffin. We want only the best for you two."

"I know." She leaned back and sobbed.

"Don't cry Gabriella." Her dad wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his arms. "I don't want to make you upset... "

"I was already upset... " She covered her face with her hand and took a deep breath. "I just don't know what to do."

"If you love Griffin, you'll know that what I'm saying is right."

"I do love Griffin, dad. He's the most important thing in my life." She broke away from her dad and looked at the ground, entwining her fingers together. "But I love Troy too... He's my rock, dad. He's the man I love and the man I want to spend the rest of my life with. I love him too much... " Gabriella shook her head. "I just can't do it... "

"But you love Griffin more, and you have to do what's right- "

"I am doing what's right! In my heart, this is the right thing to do, whether it breaks Griffin's heart or not, dad!"

"You can't keep breaking his heart, Gabriella!"

"It's worth it in the long run! Dad, he'll be home after he's done with college football! He'll be home every day! Griffin and I can move in with him, and he'll be able to be with us!"

"Right now, it isn't right! You have to think about Griffin and not about yourself!"

Gabriella sighed. "I just need... I need... " She squeezed her hair. "Time."

"Well, you have from now until Troy shows up." Vincente` stood up and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Hurry up and come back inside. I don't want you to get sick from being out here."

Gabriella looked at her fingers. "Yeah... "

"I'll be with Griffin in his room, with your mom."

"Alright."

He looked at Gabriella, in deep thought. He sighed and then turned, going back inside the hospital.

...

Gabriella huddled herself against the cold bench. Her clothes were beginning to get wet from the snow. Her breath was cold, and it came out as a white mist. Her eyes were dry and felt cracked. Her throat was dry and became rough. Her lips were dry and became cracked.

But she waited for Troy.

She wouldn't give up hope. She was convinced he was coming.

Besides, his son was in the hospital. His son is supposed to be more important than college.

Probably not.

As a tear fell down Gabriella's cheek, her flesh immediatly sucked the moisture in before the tear dripped off of her face.

She needed water.

But she didn't want any.

She stood to her feet, rubbed her arms, and began to slowly walk back and forth, trying to restore some blood flow and get warm. She just didn't want to miss Troy if he came.

"Gabriella?"

She froze.

"Gabriella, is that you?"

Gabriella turned 180 degrees. Her body shook hard.

"T-Troy?" She stuttered.

"Oh my god, Gabriella!"

"TROY!" Gabriella sprinted across the pavement. As she approached Troy, he happily picked her up and spun her around in his arms, burying his head into her shoulder.

"Baby girl, oh my sweet girl... " Troy held her tightly, not bothering to let go.

"I missed you so much... " Gabriella sobbed into his coat. "Three months... "

"I'm so sorry baby, I feel horrible about not being able to come and see you." He pulled his head away to look at her. "God Gabriella, are you cold?" He touched her face. "You're pale and really cold-skinned."

She nodded. "I'm okay though... Now that you're here."

"Here... " He unzipped his coat and took it off, putting it around her shoulders. "Better?"

"But what about you?"

"Oh, I'll be fine. I can stand a little cold weather."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." He smiled a little. "I'm sorry about being so late. Hurricane winds aren't very easy to overcome with a tiny plane. But anyway, what's going on with Griffin?"

Gabriella sighed. "His body is attacking weak spots, which is the Spina Bifida spot."

"What happened?"

"The place where the Spina Bifida was is hurting really bad. He's just in a lot of bad pain. The hospital wants to keep him for four days for observation."

Troy wrapped his arm around her shoulder and started towards the entrance of the hospital. He looked at the ground. "I feel horrible... "

Gabriella opened the door for him. "Well, I can't blame you or anything, because you're in college, but I can't do this by myself. I may have did it for myself for the first two years, but my mom and dad won't help me because they want me to do it. And plus, I'm at school half of the day."

"I honestly don't know what to do, Gabriella... I don't know if my dean will let me take a while off because of Griffin's injury, because they don't they I should have a son at my age."

"That's what everyone tells me." Gabriella gave him back his coat. "And I should have never put you through this. It wasn't right of me to not be on birth control."

"It's not your fault... I should have known to use protection in the first place. I thought about it, but I just didn't want to ruin the moment or anything."

Gabriella pressed the button to the elevator. "We both made a huge mistake that we'll never be able to change. We just have to make the best of it." Gabriella kissed his cheek.

"I guess we do." Troy took one of her hands. "Griffin needs his parents. Both of us."

Gabriella nodded. "He needs us both there for him."

Troy stepped into the elevator with her. "That's why I'm thinking about transfering colleges to one that's down here."

She looked at the floor, guilty.

She didn't want to demolish his chances of having a successful future.

...

Gabriella clutched the handle of Griffin's door. "You ready to see one happy little boy?"

"I sure am." Troy rubbed his hands together and smiled.

"Alright." Gabriella pushed the handle down and and opened the door.

He walked in after her.

As they approached his bed, they noticed that he was fast asleep.

Troy was grinning, really big. "He got bigger Gabriella!"

She smiled touched his cheek. "He is really growing up fast, right before my eyes. It seems like just yesterday he was my little chubby blue-eyed angel that was crawling around all over the floor. I really miss those days."

Troy became sullen. "I wish I would have been there- "

"You know why I broke up with you, and it was a good reason to." Gabriella didn't bother to look at him. "So don't go blaming it on me. You made that mess."

"Sorry... I just... I fucked up really bad."

"You sure did."

"But I love you and Griffin, and I would never, ever do anything to hurt you guys ever again." He moved a strand of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "I love you too much to let you guys go again."

Gabriella crossed her arms and stared at Griffin.

"I need you." He kissed her head and wrapped his arm around her. "I don't want to live the rest of my life without you."

She couldn't resist anymore. She fell into his arms, hugging him, feeling his warmth through his shirt. His body was still the same, muscular and strong, sturdy and supportive, loving and comforting... He was still Troy, and although he wasn't the Troy she used to know, he was still the same person. Troy Alexander Bolton.

And she did love him.

...

An hour passed slowly. It was 1:37 in the morning, and still dragging on slowly.

Gabriella sat quietly beside Griffin's bed, holding one of his delicate hands. Her other arm was supporting her head as she stared off into space. She was extremely tired, but held up for Griffin. She wouldn't sleep until he was out of the hospital and safe.

Troy was perched on the edge of the chair beside her. His elbows were on his knees, his hands were laced together and in front of him, and he stared at the wall to the left of Griffin. He, also, was tired, but wasn't planning on going to sleep without Gabriella. He didn't want her to stay up all night, so he finally spoke up.

"Hey baby?" He sat up and leaned back in his chair, cracking his back.

"What's wrong?" She fought to keep her eyes open, and let go of Griffin's hand to stretch.

"Nothing beautiful." He yawned. "Why don't you get some rest? I'm right here with him. I'm not going anywhere until he's safe and out of the hospital."

"I'm fine babe." She rubbed her forehead.

"No, you're not. You're exhausted." He rubbed her back for her a little. "Go home and go to sleep. I'll be right here when you come in the morning."

"No Troy, I'm staying right here." She put her face in her hands. "I'll be fine. I just need a little coffee, which I'm going to go get when I feel like getting up."

Troy sighed. "Well, if you won't go home and go to sleep, then go to sleep here."

"Where am I going to sleep?" She giggled a little.

"Right here." He patted the chair.

"No- "

"Please Gabriella, I know you're overwhelmed. If you go to sleep, you'll feel better when you wake up."

"But I don't wanna go to sleep."

"You need to go to sleep."

She sighed.

"Here... " Troy stood up and reclined his chair. It was fairly large, and could probably fit two people. He grabbed a pillow and blanket from the cabinet, and placed them on the chair. "Go ahead."

Gabriella stood up. "Only if you sleep too."

Troy chuckled and lifted the blanket up. "Alright, alright. Just get under the blanket and I'll go turn off the lamp."

She gladly snuggled under the blanket and smiled. "God, I love you so much."

"I love you too." He turned the lamp off and made his way to the recliner. He jumped in beside her and pulled the blanket over both of them. With one arm, he held her body protectively.

"Goodnight my angel." He kissed the back of her head.

"Night night." She kissed his hand.

As Gabriella was just about to fall asleep, she suddenly felt something that alarmed her. She jumped up with her eyes wide. "Damn Troy, what's going on with you?"

He was laughing. "I don't know!"

She shivered. "Are you craving sex or something?" She smacked his arm. "Well, stop craving it because you're not getting no piece of ass out of me! I'm not getting pregnant again!"

He buried his head into the pillow, laughing hysterically. "I can't help it! I haven't had sex for a good nine or ten months!"

She flashed a nasty look at him. "With who might I ask?"

"Nobody." He grinned. "Just go back to sleep. It stopped."

"No Troy, I wanna know who it was!"

He sighed. "Haylie."

"Haylie Kayne." Gabriella growled. "That bitch... "

"Don't worry about it baby. She's gone."

"But you still love her."

"Nope." Troy ran his fingers through his hair. "I never did love her."

"Really?" Gabriella crossed her arms. "Then why did you have sex with her, or should I say, _make love?_"

He scratched his head. "It was sex, not love. I never did like her. The only reason I ever got with her is because I was heartbroken from you."

Gabriella sighed. "I know... "

"Let's talk about this some other time, okay?"

"You still got a boner?"

He laughed. "No. Just come on." He opened his arms. She gladly climbed into them.

"You know I love you, right Brie?" Troy kissed her cheek and stroked her hair.

She grabbed one of his hands. "I love you too."

And slowly, they both fell asleep.


	38. Foreshadowing The Future, A Bad Future

October 1st, 2010: 1:53 PM

Since Griffin's pain was still extreme, they decided to keep him in the hospital until October 2nd.

And it was Gabriella's birthday.

Gabriella approached her locker and grabbed her bag from it. She shut it hard and leaned against the locker.

She stared hard at Haylie, Elise, and Brieanne as they walked past her.

And suddenly, Haylie stopped.

"What's your problem with us?" Haylie approached Gabriella. "I said I was sorry for all the things that I did!"

"That will NEVER change the fact that you convinced me that getting pregnant was a good thing. You took advantage of my boyfriend. You've made my life a living hell!" Gabriella began to walk away. "My fucking kid is in the hospital right now, so don't bother me."

Haylie followed her as Brieanne and Elise stayed behind. "That's not my fault! Can't we just be friends again?" Haylie tried to smile a little as Gabriella turned around.

"I'll never be friends with you, bitch!" Gabriella growled. "You're a slutty whore who sleeps with other peoples' boyfriends!"

Troy entered the school and shoved his keys in his pocket. He immediatly identified Haylie and Gabriella fighting in the middle of the hallway.

"Oh no... " Troy sighed.

"You're the one who agreed to get pregnant!" Haylie yelled. "So don't tell me it's my fault!"

"You convinced me that getting pregnant and having a baby was the best thing in the world! Well, it's nowhere near the best thing in the world! It's the hardest thing you'll ever do! Yeah, I love my son, but I wish I never would have listened to your bullshit!"

Haylie sighed. "I told you I was sorry for all those things! Can we forget the past so we aren't enemies in the future?"

"HELL NO!" Gabriella screamed in her face.

"Gabriella!" Troy grabbed her arm. "Come on, let's go!" He started to drag her across the floor.

"This isn't the last you'll ever hear from me, Haylie! You'll get the payback you deserve!" Gabriella struggled to pull away from Troy. "PAYBACK'S A BITCH, HAYLIE!" She screamed.

Troy finally dragged her outside.

"Calm down Gabriella!" He grabbed her shoulders and held them tight. "Please just calm down!"

"I'll never back down to a fight with that bitch!" Gabriella struggled once again to be free.

Troy sighed. "Come on, let's go to your house."

"This isn't the last you'll see me, Haylie Kayne!" Gabriella yelled as Haylie walked out of the school. Troy picked her up and took her away. But she screamed at Haylie the entire time.

Once he finally got to his truck, he opened the door and threw her inside. He ran to the other side, started the truck, and backed out of the parking lot.

"She's gonna get what she deserves one of these days... " Gabriella crossed her arms.

"Yeah well, she's not getting it today." Troy stopped at a stoplight and looked at Gabriella. "What has been up with you lately? You've been so protective over me, and it should be the other way around."

A tear fell down her face. "I don't want to lose you again... "

He laughed a little. "Baby, you'll never lose me again. You're stuck with me." He grabbed one of her hands. "I love you."

She nodded. "I love you too much to let you go."

...

Gabriella slid under the blankets in her bed. She was accompanied by the love of her life, Troy. Colt rested at Griffin's door, waiting for his best friend to come home.

Troy pulled the rubber band holding Gabriella's hair in a ponytail off and set it on the dresser. He then messed her hair up and grinned.

"I wish you'd wear you hair down every day."

"I wear it down almost every day, Troy." Gabriella raised an eyebrow. "And I wish you had dark brown hair every day, but that doesn't happen, does it?"

He chuckled. "You really wish I had dark brown hair?"

"No." She pecked his lips with a smile. "I love you just the way you are."

"I love you all the time, from dusk to dawn, from January to December, from the dawn of life to the end of the world, I love you." He stroked her cheek and kissed her nose.

"I love you too." She moved closer to him. "My cute boyfriend."

"You think I'm cute?" Troy raised an eyebrow.

"No, you're sexy."

"You think?"

"No, I know." She kissed his lips softly. "You're my sexy and hot man."

"Really... " He grabbed her shoulder and squeezed it through repeated kisses.

"Mhm." She dug into his lips hard. "Sexy... "

"Gorgeous, hot, sexy... " Troy lifted himself up from lying down. He pushed her to the middle of the bed. "Beautiful... "

She didn't resist him. "God, I love you." She squeezed his shoulder as he climbed over her. "I need this so badly... "

"So do I... " He leaned down and kissed her roughly.

"More than ever... " Gabriella pulled his shirt off of his head.

He gladly allowed her to take his shirt off, then unzipped her jeans and pulled them down her slender legs. "So, so badly... "

Troy threw his shirt and her jeans onto Colt. He whined and set his head on them.

"Baby, the door... " Gabriella groaned as he got off of her, not wanting the pleasure to go away. "Come back... "

Love overtook them quickly.

...

Gabriella held Troy's hand under the blankets. He ran his other hand's fingers up and down her back, staring into her eyes.

"I hope your mom and dad didn't hear." He chuckled and kissed her forehead.

She smiled. "Let's hope not."

Troy started panting. "I love you so much baby... So, so much... "

"I love you too." She ran her fingers through his brown hair and stared into his eyes. "I wanna be with you for the rest of my life." She snuggled into his chest. "I don't want you to ever leave."

"I'll never leave you and Griffin forever... " He squeezed her gently. "Never... "

And thus, life was thought to be great...


	39. Scared, or Truth?

October 11th, 2010: 2:49 AM

It happened so unexpectedly...

Troy was sitting on the edge of the bed, holding his phone to his ear. He could hear Gabriella's moans of pain behind him, and felt severely bad.

"Is there nothing you can do?" He said tiredly.

"I'm sorry Mr. Bolton, but we can't do anything until we have an opening for her to come see the doctor."

"She's in really bad pain though. The last time she was in this much pain was when she was pregnant with our son two years ago... It just doesn't make any sense... "

"Well, I'll try to get her an opening to see the doctor as soon as possible. It's probably going to be a while, because she just saw her doctor a couple days ago. It could be around a month or two."

He sighed. "Alright. Thanks anyway."

"I'm sorry. I will call you back in the next few days to tell you when her appointment is."

"Okay, bye... "

Troy slammed his phone on the table. "No openings for about a month... "

Gabriella cried into her pillow. "GOD DAMN IT!" She screamed.

"I'm so sorry baby... " Troy sighed again and stood up. "I don't know what to do. I've gotta go back to New York tommorow."

"No... " Gabriella shook her head and turned towards him. "I need you... "

"I know." He rubbed his forehead. "I can't blow off college, though... "

She screamed into her pillow as another back spasm hit. Her body trembled with fear and with pain. "What am I supposed to do?"

Troy looked up at he heard Griffin's door creak open. "Griffin, go back to bed."

Griffin rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Mommy?"

She sobbed into her pillow. "Mommy's in a lot of pain baby... Don't worry, just go back to bed... "

Griffin frowned. "No."

Troy walked across the room to Griffin. He shoved Griffin in his room. "Griffin, just try to go to sleep. I'm trying to calm mommy down."

His bottom lip fell out and his eyes began to water.

"Griffin, please... " Troy begged. "You wanna sleep with Mamaw and Papa?"

Griffin nodded.

"Alright, go up there and ask them if you can sleep with them." Troy picked Griffin up and kissed his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too." Griffin yawned.

"Now go." He pointed to the bedroom door, and Griffin quickly exited the room.

Gabriella rolled on her stomach and cried once again into her pillow. "Troy, it hurts so much... " She cried uncontrollably.

He sat on the bed and put his face in his hands. "I know baby, I just... I just don't know what to do... "

"Hospital... "

"They're completely full, Brie. And they can't do anything for your back."

Life then became rough from there.

...

It became a month later.

Troy had went back to his New York college to try to transfer to another college. They were still in the process of transfering him to a nearer college to Gabriella.

She set her purse down on the side table and sat on the large metal table. She had left her mom and dad to watch Griffin for the afternoon.

"Hi Gabriella!" Her doctor shut the door behind her and set some papers on her desk. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"Sure haven't." Gabriella smiled a little.

"So, what seems to be the problem?" Her doctor sat in her chair.

Gabriella crossed her arms. "I've been getting really bad back pain like when I was pregnant with my son, which was way over two years ago. And I've also been sickly like I'm catching the flu, but I've been sick for over a month now."

"Well, the simple way to explain this is to say that your pregnant- "

She laughed. "That's not possible. I've been on birth control. My boyfriend and I used protection the last time we did anything."

"Well then, maybe we're looking at something that needs bloodwork."

"Okay, that's fine. I just want to get to the bottom of this." Gabriella held her arm out. "Take as much blood as you need. I want this to end as soon as possible."

The doctor laughed. "Anxious, eh?" She strapped a rubber band around Gabriella's arm, then drew blood from her vein and put it in a vial. "While the bloodwork specialist checks this, there's a couple things I need to ask you."

"Sure, anything." She watched as the doctor handed the vial to a nurse.

She sat back down in her chair. "Okay, first off, how long after you had sexual intercourse with your boyfriend did you start getting back pain?"

Gabriella thought for a minute. "Well... " She tried to think. "I can't exactly say, but I think it was around ten days after."

"Okay, and how long after did you start getting sick?"

"About a month. It's just like the flu. Been throwing up chunks, I had a runny nose, a fever, everything... "

The doctor seemed like she was in deep thought. "Well, I can't think of anything that explains that."

Gabriella shrugged. "I don't know either."

"It's very strange that you say that you've been on birth control and using protection when the signs say your pregnant. Are you positive that you didn't skip your birth control?"

"Absolutely."

The doctor sighed. "How long ago did you have your son?"

"Two year and five months."

"And you haven't had any more back pain until now?"

"No."

She looked at the floor and rubbed her forehead. "Let's see what the bloodwork says."

"Fine by me." Gabriella grabbed her purse. "When should I come back?"

"Oh no, you can stay. It should only take a couple minutes."

"Alright." Gabriella set her purse back down. "I'm going to call my mom and tell her what's going on."

The doctor stood from her seat. "I'll be back with the results."

"Okay."

She quickly dialed her mom's number, getting really scared.

"Mom?"

"Oh, hi sweetheart. How did the doctor visit go?"

"I'm still here... " A tear ran down Gabriella's cheek.

"Oh, then why are you calling?"

Gabriella's heart began to thump. Her mouth became suddenly dry.

"The doctor thinks I'm pregnant."

She heard nothing on the other line.

"Mom? Mom! Are you there?"

"Oh god, I don't know if I am really here!" Her mother sounded winded. "Pregnant?"

"I told her that there was no way! I've been on birth control since after Griffin was born, and the only time I had sex with Troy was on my birthday, and we used protection mom! I swear! We took extra precautions to make sure that it didn't happen again!" She tried to stop crying.

"Then there must be another explanation!" Maria had to sit in a chair. "Find out what it is!"

"The doctor took blood, and she'll be back with the results pretty soon. Please, just don't tell dad!"

"I will not, but Gabriella Anne Montez, this is the second and LAST time you have had a pregnancy scare, so do not let it happen again!" Maria yelled into the phone.

"I won't mom, I promise... " Gabriella wiped her eyes. "Tell Griffin that mommy loves him and I'll be home in a while."

"Okay Gabriella, I will see you when you get home, and please call and tell me what is going on."

"Okay, bye... " Gabriella shut her phone off and set it in her purse. She put her face in her hands and sighed. "There's no way you can be pregnant, so don't worry Gabriella, don't worry." She reassured herself.

It didn't help.

When the doctor came back, Gabriella looked up hopefully. "Did the lab find anything in my bloodwork?" She said quickly.

"Yes, they did." The doctor shut the door. "We need to have a serious talk."

And boy, did they have a talk.


	40. Stress Relieving Puppies

December 11th, 2010: 1:35 PM

Gabriella slammed the front door when she came home from her doctor's appointment.

She leaned against it for a couple seconds, trying to regain a little strength.

"Hi sweetheart, did they find out what was wrong?" Maria came in from the kitchen. "Your father has Griffin outside in the pool."

"I don't want to talk right now." Gabriella quickly walked downstairs and into her den.

"What is wrong?" Maria followed her and Gabriella slammed the door in her face.

Colt was quick to greet Gabriella in her bedroom. He rolled over, showing his belly, but Gabriella ignored him.

"Colt, go away." She threw herself down on her bed.

He whined a little, got up, and jumped on her bed with her. He nudged her hand and barked.

"No Colt." She covered her face with a pillow. "Just kill me now Colt, because I'm going to die from murder anyway."

Colt set his head on the bed and watched her closely.

"Colt, please."

He didn't budge.

"Fine, be an asshole."

He still didn't budge.

"I have to tell my mom and my dad, and I've gotta tell Troy too... " She looked at Colt. "Why does life have to be so tough?"

He lifted his head happily.

"You're no help... " She set her hand on his head.

He smiled at her and cocked his head to the side.

"Oh god, I have to call Troy... " She grabbed her phone. "I can't blow him off and not tell him."

Gabriella dialed his phone number and held it up to her ear.

"Hey baby! You haven't called for a while!" Troy sounded happy. "I've got some really good news that I just heard today!"

"What's going on?"

"My college is accepting my transfer papers!"

Gabriella sat up with a huge smile on her face. "Oh my god Troy, that's great!"

"Isn't it? Now I can be down in Massachusetts with you and Griffin! But, it's still going to take a while. Just a couple more months. I'll be back down there by at the most, February."

Gabriella couldn't help but feel weird inside. "Well, I don't have very good news. I went to the doctor today."

Troy sat on the edge of his bed. "And?"

"Well, first she insisted I was pregnant, but I told her that I was on birth control and that we used protection the last time we had sex. When the bloodwork results came back, she scared the life out of me, because the bloodwork read that I was pregnant, but I kept insisting that there was no possible way. She had a midwife come in and perform an ultrasound, and it confirmed that the doctor was right."

Troy almost fell over. "Holy shit Gabriella... " Troy started breathing hard. "How... How... "

"I don't know, but my mom and dad are going to murder me because they'll think I skipped my birth control and that we didn't use protection, but I made sure I took my pill, and I know that we did use protection! I don't know how this could possibly be happening! I called my mom while I was there, but after, I told her I wasn't pregnant... "

Troy felt dizzy and had to lie down on his bed. He ran his fingers through his hair with his eyes wide. "Gabriella, there's no way... " He shook his head. "No Gabriella, they must have messed up... "

"They didn't Troy... I saw the ultrasound, and there was something in there... I've got pictures, Troy... "

"We can't do this again Brie, there's no way we can do this again... I'm in college, and you're in your senior year... And I just can't- "

"I know Troy... " Gabriella eyes became wet. "That's why I scheduled an appointment for an abortion. It'll be next week. I'll never have to tell my mom or dad... "

Troy sat up. "Baby, no- "

"I can't do it again! I just can't!"

"That's not right Gabriella, you can't punish an innocent baby for something that you and and fucked up on."

"You wanna raise another baby? I don't. I raised my son, and it was the weirdest thing I've ever did, and the hardest. I don't like looking at my kid naked for god sakes, and I don't plan on looking at another little girl or boy naked again, but that's not the point... I already woke up at three in the morning, fed my kid, played with my kid, and I'm not doing it again!"

Troy rubbed his head. "Well, you're not getting an abortion."

"Yes I am!"

"No you're not!" Troy stood up. "God damn it Gabriella, don't you dare even try it! If you don't want this baby, then I'll take this baby and raise it myself! Abortion is OUT of the question!"

Gabriella shook her head. "You have no clue how hard it is Troy, and I'm not going to let you raise a child of mine by yourself."

"Then it's either we keep this baby, or I keep this baby. No adoption, no abortion."

Gabriella ran her fingers through her hair. "Troy, I can't do this again... "

"Well then, I'll do it."

"Let me think about it... "

Troy sighed. "Fine, but don't you dare get any abortion." He sat down again and tried to calm down a little. "Alright, I'm gonna let you go."

"Okay Troy... " Gabriella sighed.

He gripped the phone. "I love you, and don't forget that."

"I love you too." She looked at the floor.

"In the mean time, don't tell your parents anything, and I won't tell mine anything. Just play it off like nothing's wrong."

"Alright Troy, I'll talk to you later."

"Okay baby, bye."

She hung up and dialed the doctor's number.

"Hello, this is Doctor Hendrickson's office, how may I help you?"

"Hi, I'm Gabriella Montez, and I am calling to cancel the abortion scheduled for next Tuesday."

"Okay, I will let Doctor Hendrickson know. Thanks for calling."

"Thanks." Gabriella hung up and set her phone on her dresser. She set her head in her hands. "Why does this have to happen now? Why?"

...

Gabriella pulled her suitcase handle up and ejected the bottom wheels of the suitcase. She grabbed her duffle bag and her purse, shutting the back on her mom's van.

"Do you have everything ready?" Maria placed her hands on Gabriella's shoulders.

"Yeah mom, I've got everything here." Gabriella smiled.

"Okay then, come and let us get you on your flight safely. Your father will get Griffin, right Vin?"

"Yeah." He grumbled and began to get Griffin out of the backseat.

Gabriella and her mother approached the conveyor belts, where she placed her luggage on the conveyor belt and waited patiently for it to pass through. She looked nervous.

"Sweetheart, do not be scared! There is nothing to be scared of." Maria smiled reassuringly at Gabriella.

"I'm just a little nervous and scared, that's all. I haven't rode in a plane for a while."

"You will be fine." Maria patted her back. "Go through security and wait for your father and I. We will come to say goodbye, okay?"

Gabriella nodded and ran her fingers through her hair as she stared at the security guard. He waved towards the metal detector.

Gabriella gladly walked through the large metal detector and let the man search her with the little metal detector. She was cleared, along with her luggage, and went to the loading dock. She got her ticket and waited by her flight's door.

Her body began to tremble.

Finally, after ten minutes, her plane was called up and she spotted her parents.

"Go say bye to your mommy." Vincente` pointed to Gabriella. Griffin ran to Gabriella as quickly as he could and jumped into her arms. Gabriella gave her son the biggest hug of his entire life.

"I love you so much... " Gabriella kissed his cheek and held the back of his head as a couple tears fell down her cheeks. "Remember that Mamaw and Papa can call me so you can talk to me on the phone."

Griffin nodded.

"And remember that you're going to stay with Grandma Kay and Grandpa Jack for some time while I'm gone, okay?"

He nodded again.

Gabriella pulled her head away from him and stared into his eyes. "Mommy loves you so much... I hate to leave you... " She smiled a little, not able to contain her tears. "Give mommy a kiss."

He gladly puckered his lips up, and laughing a little, Gabriella pecked them and gave him one final hug goodbye.

She set him down and moved her her mom.

"I love you." Her mother hugged her tightly. "Make sure you bring me something back from New York."

"I love you too, and I will."

Her dad stepped in and gave her a big bear hug.

"You still daddy's little girl?"

Gabriella nodded.

"Then act like it." He smacked her butt, and she jumped a little.

"Dad, quit it! I'm eighteen!" She pulled away from him.

He laughed and held one of her hands. "Have a safe flight sweetheart, and remember that Griffin is in good hands."

"I'll try, but it's so hard... "

"I know it is, but just remember that."

She nodded.

"We will be coming to New York around Christmas with Kay and Jack with Griffin, so just look forward to that sweetie." Her mom grabbed Griffin's hand. "Now go get on your flight."

Gabriella wiped a couple tears away. She waved to Griffin. "Bye Griffie... I love you."

"I love you too." He waved back and smiled at her.

"I'll see you at Christmas, okay?"

"Okay!" Griffin grinned. "Bye!"

"Bye baby." Gabriella wiped another tear away as she went down the hallway to her plane.

...

Two hours later, Gabriella arrived at NYC Airlines. She got off her plane, called her mother to tell her she was okay, and grabbed her things. She entered the main hallway.

Gabriella looked around.

She spotted Troy.

"Troy!" Gabriella dropped her things. Troy ran to her.

"Hey baby!" Troy said happily and grabbed her in his arms. He picked her up and hugged her tightly, kissing her cheek. "God, I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too... " She snuggled into his shoulder. His arms felt stronger than ever.

As he set her down, he held both of her hands.

"Troy, I'm scared... " Gabriella's eyes watered. "I don't know if I can raise another baby... "

He kissed her lips and ran his fingers through her hair, as he pulled back, he talked softly. "We'll work through this while you're here. That's why I wanted you to come."

She looked at the floor. "I only want one kid, and that's Griffin. I don't want to have any more kids."

"Well, let's not talk about that right now." He let go of her hands and grabbed her two duffle bags. "I'm going to take you home, and we're going to stay there." He grinned.

"Really?" She seemed a little excited.

"I've got a huge dorm to myself and Cartier."

"Cartier?"

"My roomate."

"Oh, okay."

Gabriella grabbed her suitcase and headed out to his car, where he drove her to his dorm apartment. Troy showed her the fancy elevator and the beautiful decorations of the entire building, which she fell in love with.

Troy approached his room and set the duffle bags out, fumbling with his keys.

"Troy, it's so nice here!"

"I know! I absolutely love it! Wait until you see my dorm... " He shoved the key in the lock and turned it. He picked the duffle bags back up and opened the door.

The room was gorgeous.

It was red and black all around, but a beautiful combination of red and black. The walls were red satin, and the carpets were black satin. The tiles consisted of black and red.

The door opened up to a beautiful living room, and to the left was a counter. The kitchen. And if you passed the kitchen on the left, there was a beautiful blue bedroom, all for Troy with a King bed and everything a man wanted. A flat screen, a refrigerator full of icy drinks, and a lounging couch.

Paradise.

Then, the bathroom was a walk-in from Troy's bedroom. It consisted of a huge bath-jacuzzi to the right, and a large shower with an ipod dock to listen to music in the shower. The bathroom was also blue.

Gabriella was astonished by the entire house.

"Troy, this is beautiful!" Gabriella set her suitcase against the wall, and Troy set her duffle bags beside it. "And _I_ get to stay here?"

"Yep." He grabbed one of her hands. "I'd like for you to meet two of my very best friends." He lead her past his bedroom and into a small room.

Inside two seperate cages were two tiny puppies. The puppy to the left barked raucously and pawed at the cage, and the one on the right cowered in the corner of the cage.

"Oh Troy, they're so cute!" Gabriella knelt down beside the cages. "Can I let them out?"

"Of course!" Troy sat on the chair in the corner. "Have at them!"

Gabriella quickly opened the left puppy's cage. The puppy bolted out, did a couple circles, and jumped all over Gabriella.

"Awh, a little Yellow Lab!" She pet his head. "How old?"

"About six months. I got him when I moved in at the local shelter.

"And what's wrong with this one?" She pointed to the little black puppy in the cage, who was backed into the corner.

"I just got her two days ago."

Gabriella opened the cage, and the puppy backed into the corner even farther.

"Why is she so scared?"

"I don't know." Troy moved beside Gabriella. "She doesn't really like me, but I've been trying to get her to trust me."

Gabriella's hands slowly entered the cage. She pulled the puppy out and held it up in her hands. "She's shaking really hard."

Troy stroked her head. "She's about four months now. I got her two months ago."

Gabriella looked into the puppy's eyes. She squealed a little.

"Where did you get her at?"

"A puppy mill owner. The man and the lady were breeding German Shepherds and Belgian Shepherds for tons of profit. The dogs were being seized from the property, and since I had nothing to do, I offered to help seize some dogs. When I went into one room, a mother dog was growling at me. I got her on the catch pole, gave her to a rescuer, and I grabbed the puppies. All were dead but two of them. So, I took both of them home, and before I even got home, the male died. So, I have her now, and she's doing great. But the vet said to be extremely cautious, because since there was overbreeding, she might have some inherited disease that made the entire litter die."

Gabriella held the puppy close to her chest. "She's a cute little puppy."

"She's a Groenendael Belgian Shepherd. Purebred. I have her pedigree and everything that says she's purebred, but she just came from a bad background."

She handed the puppy to Troy. "So, when am I going to meet your roomates?"

"You already have." Troy grinned. "The Lab is Cartier, and I haven't named the Shepherd yet."

Gabriella laughed. "So you're all alone here?"

"Well, I wanted something to keep me company. Then, I saw Cartier at the shelter and got him, and I couldn't resist the little Shepherd, so now I'm not so lonely." He grinned again.

"Ooh, can I name her?"

"Of course. Take a shot."

Gabriella held the puppy up. "How about... Rai?"

Troy touched the puppy's head. "Beautiful. Rai sounds like a good name for her."

Gabriella chuckled. "Okay, so Rai it is."

Troy stared at Rai a little. "I think she likes you."

"Really?" Gabriella looked at the puppy. "She's still shaking."

"But she won't let me hold her at all." Troy stood up. "I think she just needs a little love."

Gabriella stared into the puppy's eyes. "Maybe."

But maybe, Rai would become very attached to Gabriella.


	41. Sleeping Puppies

December 13th, 2010: 12:05 PM

Troy walked into his bedroom and handed Gabriella a glass of water. She set it on the nightstand.

"Are you okay?" Troy sat on the left side of the bed, while Gabriella was sitting on the right.

She was sitting criss-crossed with her arms holding her sides. "I don't know." Gabriella looked at the bed. "I just don't want to raise another baby, Troy. I did my job with Griffin. I don't want to do it again."

Troy leaned on his pillow. "And you think I want to do it again? I'm the one who missed the first two years of Griffin's life, and I'm not happy I did, but I don't want any more kids while I'm in college. Yeah, maybe after college, but not now. And what's weird is usually women want more than just one kid, and especially when their first kid was a boy, because they want a girl."

She didn't respond. She seemed too quiet for Troy.

"There's something you're not telling me." Troy looked over at her. "Tell me, Gabriella." He said seriously.

A tear dripped off her face.

"Gabriella." Troy grabbed her arm. "Please tell me."

She shook her head. "No... I feel like a fool... "

"For what?"

"Because I feel like I took advantage of you, again... " Gabriella looked over at him. "I feel like I'm still obeying that promise I made when I was fifteen."

Troy laughed. "Baby, you made that promise three years ago... "

"But I still feel like I'm using you to get pregnant again, but I'm not trying to... "

He opened his arms. "Come here."

She sobbed and fell back into his arms, crying into his chest. He looked up at the ceiling and rubbed her back.

"I feel like a slut... "

"You're not a slut." Troy barked.

"But I used you- "

"You didn't use me." He kissed the top of her head. "We took every precaution necessary to prevent this from happening. God didn't care about precautions, because you were destined to have another baby anyway. He just decided to give you another baby now."

"But why?" She sobbed.

"We'll never know." Troy stroked her hair. "But for now, we can't just act like this baby never happened. You can't get an abortion... Please." He hugged her a little tighter. "If you really don't want the baby, then I'll raise it myself and you don't have to worry about it."

"I told you, I'm not going to let you raise this baby by yourself- "

"But I'll do it if I have to."

Gabriella sniffled. "How am I going to tell my mom and dad?"

"I don't know." Troy stroked her hair. "And I don't know how I'm going to tell my parents either. But they can't do a damn thing about it Gabriella. That's why my mom and dad accepted Griffin, and the same for your mom and dad. They can't stop you from having sex or getting pregnant, but they can try as hard as they can to inform you about everything. Obviously, it didn't get through your thick skull or mine, and we're paying the consequences for it. The worst thing your parents can possibly do when you tell them is kick you out with Griffin, and if they do, you know that I can have anyone I want stay here in this dorm, because my coach wants me to feel as comfortable as possible. I really do wish that you would move in with me for the rest of the time I stay here, because I know you'll love New York and you'll love living on the 16th floor."

"I can't just leave! I have school!"

"But you can still transfer here for a while and transfer back."

"It doesn't take a snap of the finger, Troy."

He sighed frustratedly and ran his fingers through his hair. "I know."

Gabriella folded her arm across her stomach and held onto her side.

"So have we come to a consensus?"

Gabriella ran her fingers through her hair. "No."

Troy got off of the bed and to his bathroom. "Well, just sit on it."

She could hear him peeing into the toilet. "What? Sit on the toilet?" She grinned.

"Men don't sit and piss, Gabriella. I think girls should stand too." She could hear him chuckle. "So hot... "

"What do you want me to do, stand right over the toilet and pee from two feet in the air?"

"Of course not." He laughed.

"Then how do you expect me to pee standing up?"

"Hold your clit." He grinned to himself.

"TROY!" Gabriella got up and walked in on him peeing in the bathroom. "FYI Troy, a girl's clit doesn't just come out like a god damn dick."

"Sure it does." He zipped his jeans up and turned around.

"No it doesn't. Sorry. You're not a girl."

"It still would be really hot if you could stand up and piss in the toilet."

"Shut up Troy." She walked out of the bathroom. "No wonder I got pregnant again. Its your fault!"

"Sure baby, I'll take all the blame." He smacked her butt and backed up.

"Oh, thanks for the wake up call, or should I call it sleep call, because I'm tired and I'm going to sleep with my sexy boyfriend tonight." She climbed onto the right side of the bed.

Troy jumped in beside her and pulled the blankets over them. "I guess if I've been waiting two months, I can wait another night."

"Well I would but... "

"But what?"

"But I'm already pregnant, dumbass." She rolled her eyes.

Troy wrapped his arms around her waist. "That doesn't mean that we can't play around."

Gabriella groaned. "Troy, I don't feel like playing around."

"Come on... " He gently sucked on her neck.

"No!" She pushed him away. "Turn the damn light off so I can go to sleep.

He sighed. "Alright, fine." He reached over and turned the lamp off. "Happy?"

"Sure am." She smiled to herself. She snuggled into his chest. "I love you."

"I love you too." He kissed the top of her bed. "I'll see you when the sun rises."

"Do you have class tommorow?"

"Unfortuanatly."

"Alright, well, goodnight."

"Goodnight baby."

...

As Gabriella was just about to fall asleep, she felt a sudden warmth as her feet. She looked down, and a little yellow ball of fur was curled up and thumping his tail on the bed as he looked at her. Gabriella smiled to herself and closed her eyes once again.

"Brie?"

"What?"

"Do you feel something warm on your feet?"

"Cartier is laying on our feet."

"Oh." Troy nestled his nose into her hair and shut his eyes tight. "He's sneaky at night."

"I can see." She smiled.

And all of a sudden, it felt like a cat jumped on the bed. She felt fur on her arm as something curled up against her torso.

"Troy, do you have a cat?"

"No, why?"

"Because it feels like a cat is on my arm!"

Troy quickly flipped the light on. Gabriella suddenly began to smile.

"She likes you Gabi, I told you." Troy stroked the top of Rai's head. "She really does."

Gabriella looked over at Troy. "I really do like her. She's such a beautiful dog."

Troy turned the light off. "Well, maybe she'll come close to being as beautiful as you." Troy moved Gabriella's hair out of her face and kissed her cheek.

Gabriella snuggled back into Troy, with her back facing him. "I'm tired, so let's go to sleep." She said.

"Alright." He said lastly.

And suddenly, the bond became closer.


	42. Keeping A Secret

December 16th, 2010: 11:54 PM

Gabriella finally rose from the bed. Immediatly, she noticed that between her legs was hurting excruciatingly bad, and so werere her breasts.

No answer.

"Troy!" She yawned. "Babe, are you here?"

Nothing.

She went to the bathroom and walked out into his living room. "Troy?"

She sighed. "Oh wait, he has class and football today... "

Gabriella could hear Cartier crying in his cage, so she let both Cartier and Rai out to roam around. She went to sit on the couch, and Rai followed her. Rai plopped down beside her feet and stared off into space.

"What Rai?" Gabriella stroked her head. "Are you okay?"

Rai stuck her tongue out and started panting.

"And how about you, Cartier?" She looked over at him. He was wrestling with the 10 pound rope toy that Troy had for them. "Looks like you're okay."

She stared at the wall, bored.

About ten minutes later, the door began to unlock by itself. Troy bursted through the door and shut it immediatly behind him.

"Damn, I've got trails of people following me... " He said to himself and threw his keys on the table. He set his bag down and then looked at Gabriella. "Hey baby, I didn't know you were awake."

Gabriella moaned. "What the hell did you do to me last night... "

He pushed Cartier off of him and started over to her. "I didn't do anything to you last night." He seemed confused.

"Of course not." Gabriella leaned back with her legs propped up by the recliner. "My boobs hurt for nothing, huh? And shall I mention- "

"Oh." He smirked and walked away from her. "You mean _that_?"

"Yeah, _that._" She closed her eyes gently. "Shall I ask the question?"

"You shall." He leaned against the counter, still holding a smirk on his face.

She smiled. "Did we have sex last night?"

"Oh hell yeah." He laughed. "But I didn't mess around last night. We got down to business. So I didn't make your boobs hurt, but I think I know what did."

Gabriella sighed heavily. "I know what's making them hurt. Sorry for blaming you."

"No problem." He grabbed a water from the refrigerator and took a gulp of it.

Gabriella got up from her seat and started towards him. "I don't know if I can do this, Troy."

"I told you, then I'll raise the baby." He sat on the edge of the counter and set his water beside him.

Gabriella sighed again and pushed her hair out of her face. "I can't leave it to your responsibility to raise a helpless baby, Troy, especially my baby."

Troy ran his fingers through his hair. "Well, you're not getting an abortion, and I'm not going to sit here and wonder where my kid is at and who's taking care of it. So, the only option left is for me to raise this baby."

Gabriella looked at the floor. "I don't want you to have that responsibility, though."

"I have to."

"No you don't."

Gabriella's phone began to buzz. She unplugged the charger and looked at her phone.

"We'll talk about it again some other time, okay? My dad's calling me."

Troy sighed as Gabriella answered her phone.

"Hey dad."

"Hi sweetheart. Am I bothering you?"

"No, it's perfectly fine. Is there something wrong?"

"I'm not going to lie... " Vincente` sighed. "But you'll need to sit down for this one."

Gabriella looked at Troy. "What's going on?"

"Please, just sit down... "

"Okay fine... " She sat on the counter. "I'm sitting."

"Is Troy there?"

"Yeah."

"Let me talk to him first."

Gabriella handed Troy the phone. Troy got off of the counter and began walking around the room.

"Vincente`? What's going on?"

Troy stopped dead in his tracks and his eyes went wide. "Oh my god, are you serious? Oh man Vin, Gabi's not going to be a happy camper."

Gabriella became concerned.

"What's going on Troy?" Gabriella crossed her arms.

"Vin, I'm so sorry, and please just hang in there for your daughter and Griffin... "

Troy hung up.

"Troy... " Gabriella looked at him.

"Baby, something went horribly wrong... "

"With what? Is it Griffin?"

"No, Griffin's fine... "

"Oh, then what's the problem?"

Troy set her phone on the counter and didn't bother to look at her. "Henry just died." He looked up at her. "He had an blood clot by his heart... "

Gabriella's heart stopped.

"Henry?"

"Your dad's dog... "

"Henry... " Gabriella sobbed.

"Baby, come here... " He pulled her off of the counter and into his arms. "I'm so sorry... "

"Henry... " Gabriella said again as she cried into his shoulder.

"I'm right here... " Troy reassured her.

And a week was completely ruined.

...

The 23rd of December came fast.

Troy shoved a couple presents under his tree and stood back to admire it.

"How does it look?" Troy glanced over at Gabriella.

Gabriella snuggled into her blanket with a cup of tea. "Griffin will love it."

"Oh wait, I forgot one more thing... " Troy reached into a box. "Your dad mailed this to me... "

"What is it?"

Troy hung it up on the tree. "Henry's old puppy ornament for your tree that you put up in your bedroom every year."

She smiled a little. "I remember."

"He'll always be with you, Brie." Troy stepped back from the tree again. "Don't think that he won't, because he loves you."

"I know." Gabriella stroked Rai's black fur. "I just miss him so much... "

"I know you do, and that will never change." Troy looked over at her. "But you still have Colt and Leaf, and you know that Cartier and Rai are just as much of your dogs as they are mine."

She sipped her tea and set it down on the end table beside her. "So, when are your parents supposed to get here?"

"In about fifteen minutes. They said that they landed at the airport and are on their way."

Gabriella sighed. "They're going to notice that I'm pregnant, Troy. My boobs are getting bigger and I''ve got a bump already, and it's not little... "

Troy turned around. "I don't notice anything different about you."

"That's because you see me every day. I haven't seen your parents for two months... "

He sighed also and ran his fingers through his hair. "Well, I'm going to have to tell them sometime, and you're going to have to tell your parents and Griffin sometime... "

"No, because I'm getting an abortion."

"No you're not! Quit saying that!"

Gabriella's eyes welled with tears. "How am I supposed to tell them?"

"I don't know, but you'll have to find a way."

She closed her eyes and groaned.

"What's wrong?"

"Life." Gabriella laughed a little. "My life is so fucked up... "

"Yeah well, mine too. But we'll stick through it together, won't we Montez?"

"That's right Bolton. If I have this baby, you better not run and hide on me, because we already have a two and a half year old little boy."

Troy grinned. "That's on a plane and coming over right now."

"I know, I can't wait... " Gabriella looked over at Troy. "He's gonna be so happy to see his daddy."

"And his mommy."

"More so his daddy."

Troy stuffed another present under the tree. "Well, he'll be happy to see both of us."

"Let's hope."


	43. Tense Times

December 23rd, 2010: 9:04 PM

Gabriella exited Troy's bedroom with her red and green Christmas robe on. Her body shivered.

"Troy, I'm so scared to tell them... "

"I feel the same way... Just don't take that robe off until I tell them, or else they'll start questioning."

Troy heard a knock on his door.

"Gabi, just sit and calm down. I'll handle my mom and dad."

Gabriella obeyed, but still shivered with fear.

Troy unlocked the door and swung it open.

"Hey sweetheart!" Kay almost knocked Troy over with a huge hug. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too mom!" Troy pulled back from her and hugged his dad. "I haven't seen you guys in a long time!"

Kay looked over at Gabriella. "Gabriella! Hey!" Kay ran to her and embraced her tightly. "I missed you more than I missed Troy!" She laughed

Gabriella smiled a little, but was still nervous. "I... missed you too... "

"Hi Gabriella!" Jack gave her a small hug. "Why are you shaking?"

"I'm just really cold."

"I thought it was kind of hot in here." He pulled back.

"I've been getting cold chills lately from the harsh weather of NYC."

"Oh." Jack turned around.

Troy flashed Gabriella a mean look. She shrugged.

"Horrible excuse." Troy mouthed to her.

Everything was quiet for a moment.

Troy and Gabriella exchanged looks.

Kay turned towards the kitchen and spoke. "So, how- "

"Gabriella's pregnant." Troy blurted suddenly.

Jack and Kay both turned around and froze. The looks on their faces weren't happy.

Kay looked at Gabriella. "What did I just hear?"

Gabriella took the robe off and threw it on the chair. "I'm pregnant." She repeated.

More silence.

"How... " Jack looked over at Troy. "How in god's name did this happen?"

Troy shrugged. "I don't know... "

"I told you to use protection Troy! How the hell didn't that get into your mind?"

"I did dad! I swear to god, I used protection! I'll swear on Griffin's life! And Gabriella took her birth control hours before we even had sex!"

Gabriella plopped down in the recliner and held her head in her hands. Tears dripped out of the sides of her hands, and her body jerked a couple times. Finally, a sob left her mouth.

"Gabriella, are you okay?" Kay squated beside her and rubbed her back. "I'm not praising you for what you did, but I told you that if this ever ended up happening again, that I would be there for you." She moved Gabriella's hair out of her face.

"How did this happen?" Jack was enraged and was screaming at Troy. "You took advantage of a girl once again, Troy! How did I not raise you right? First Griffin, and now you're going to have another kid to raise under your arm!"

"I didn't take advantage of her! Dad, please just calm down! I used protection and everything! We used every precaution!"

"THEN HOW THE HELL DID SHE GET PREGNANT AGAIN?" Jack backed Troy into a wall.

"I don't know!"

Jack suddenly calmed down and backed up. His eyes went wide. "Oh god Gabriella... " He turned around. "Did you cheat on Troy?"

Gabriella could see Troy freeze. She knew that his adrenaline was rising.

"Why the hell would you think I cheated on Troy?"

"Because you used protection with him!"

"Something went wrong! My birth control failed, and the condom must have torn or something! I don't know! But don't be putting words in my mouth that I cheated on Troy!" Gabriella stood up and glared at Troy. "And if you believe a word that this asshole says, then you're fucking crazy too!"

Troy could almost see the steam fuming from Gabriella's nose.

"Gabriella, did you cheat on me?" Troy began to walk towards her. "Because if you did, you better speak up now or walk out that door."

Gabriella could see the rage in his eyes, but she knew for a fact that she didn't cheat on him.

"I told you! I didn't cheat on you! Just drop it, okay? Damn, you people think I'm the crazy bitch here, and I didn't do anything to claim the name!" She ran into Troy's bedroom and slammed the door. "THANKS FOR NOT BELIEVING ME, TROY! I HATE YOU!" Everyone could hear the lock click on the door.

Troy leaned against the wall and stared at his dad. "Thanks for ruining my life, dad. Even though I move out and get my own place, there's still trouble to be caused." He sighed.

"There's a huge possibility that she cheated on you, Troy! Can't you see it? You said that you used protection, so there's no way that she could get pregnant from you!"

"You make it look like she's a prostitute! She's never had sex with anyone but me! She's the good girl of the entire school! If you're really that concerned about this baby being mine, then I'll have a DNA test done when this baby is born, but until then, back off or you won't be seeing my family for a long time!" Troy walked into the kitchen. "Damn it!" He knocked his head against the refrigerator.

Kay turned to Jack. "I think you need to leave."

"Why?"

"Because I said so." Kay glared at Jack.

"I'm not going anywhere! I'm here for my grandson's Christmas, and when that's over, I'll leave!"

Jack sat on the couch with a grunt.

Kay looked back over at Troy. "Sweetheart, I think you need to calm down a little.

Troy sat on his countertop and set his waterbottle beside him. "I'm fine." He ran his hand across his hair.

"No, you're not."

"Fine mom, I'm not okay." He growled. "Just give me some space, okay?"

"Are you keeping this baby?" Kay sat at his kitchen table chair.

Troy sighed and looked away from her. "Gabriella wants an abortion. I don't want her to have one. We both don't want adoption, so the only option left is for me to raise this baby, with or without Gabriella."

"You need to come to a consensus with her, because if you don't, you won't be able to stop her from having an abortion."

"Well, I tried mom. She's probably going to get one when she gets back home. That's why she didn't want to say anything to you guys or her parents."

Troy could hear a knock at the door.

"That's probably them now." He jumped off the counter. "Don't you DARE say a word to them about Gabriella being pregnant. Got it?"

"Alright, but she's going to have to tell them."

"Got it, pops?" Troy glared at Jack.

"Yeah, sure."

Troy knocked on his bedroom door. "Gabriella, your parents are here."

"Tell them to fuck off!"

Troy sighed. "Fine then, I guess you won't be seeing Griffin."

"Bring him to the door!"

He groaned. "You're going to have to come out to see him." Troy began to walk towards the front door.

As he opened it, Griffin flew into Troy's dorm and hugged Troy's legs.

"DADDY!" Griffin screamed.

"Hey little man!" Troy grabbed him under his arms and lifted him up. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too!" Griffin hugged Troy around his neck.

Maria stepped into Troy's dorm. "Hi Kay! Hi Jack!"

Everyone greeted. But someone was missing...

Vincente` looked around the room. "Where's Gabriella?"

Troy sighed. "Gabriella, come out please!" He yelled.

Finally, she unlocked the door and stepped out of the room.

"Happy?" She said.

"MOMMY!" Griffin slid off of Troy and bolted to Gabriella.

"Hey baby!" Gabriella grabbed him in her arms and squeezed him tightly. "You got big!"

"I missed you so much!" Griffin said quickly. "I love you!"

"I love you too Griffie!" She kissed his cheek and held the back of his head. "Did you see the presents under the tree?"

Griffin shook his head. "No?"

"Go look!" She pointed at the tree.

Griffin turned around, gasped, and jumped out of Gabriella's arms and over to the tree. "PRESENTS!" He grabbed one of the boxes.

"No no no Griffin!" Troy rushed over at Griffin tried to pull the paper off. "Not right now!"

Griffin's bottom lip puffed out.

"You only have to wait until tommorow Griff." Troy pulled Griffin away from the presents. "Then you can open them."

Gabriella watched as her dad snuck a present under the tree. She crossed her arms and went over to him.

"You only brought Griffin one present from home?"

"No, all his presents are in the car." Vincente` stood up. "That's your present from me."

Gabriella giggled. "Awh dad, you didn't have to get me anything."

"I did anyway." He smiled and kissed her cheek. "You seemed kind of mad when you came out of that room. What's going on?"

Her stomach churned and she became extremely nervous.

"Troy and I... We were arguing about something... "

"About what?"

"About... Him transfering. Not a big deal anyway."

Vincente` grabbed one of her hands. "Gabriella, I don't mean to make you feel uncomfortable or anything, but you look like you gained some weight... "

Her eyes got wide. She looked down.

"Troy's trying to get me to gain some weight, isn't that right babe?" She turned around and flashed him a helpless look.

"Um... " Troy's eyes also got wide. He sighed. "Gabriella, why don't we just drop it and tell them. They'll find out anyway."

"Tell us what?" Maria walked towards Gabriella.

"That I'm trying to gain a little weight."

"No Gabriella, quit lying." Troy braced himself. "Just tell them!"

Gabriella sighed. "Okay, fine. You noticed I gained a little weight? Well, you probably noticed that my boobs got bigger too... "

"What is going on Gabriella?" Maria pushed for the answer.

Gabriella backed away a little. "I swear, we tried to prevent it. We used protection and I was on birth control- "

"You're pregnant?" Vincente` became more outraged than Jack.

"I'm so sorry dad... " Gabriella backed farther away as tears rolled down her cheek. "This wasn't meant to happen... "

Vincente` turned around and zeroed in on Troy. Troy's eyes got wide. "Don't look at me! I used protection! I swear to god! I don't know how she ended up pregnant!"

And the fight became a riot.

Griffin bursted out crying. He was in the middle of the fight with Vincente`, Troy, Jack, Kay, and Maria.

"Griffin, it's okay baby!" Gabriella squated down and held her arms out. "Come here!"

Griffin didn't waste any time. He ran to Gabriella and collapsed into her arms, crying into her shoulder.

Gabriella stood up and stared at all of them. She couldn't take it.

"QUIT! PLEASE!" Gabriella begged and kissed Griffin's head. "If it's such a big deal, then I'll just get an abortion for god's sake! That was my plan in the first place!" She sobbed.

Everyone turned and looked at Gabriella.

"I thought we already discussed this... " Troy stared at her.

"Well, obviously, neither of our parents wants to be grandparents again, and I don't want to be a mother again... " She rubbed Griffin's back. "I need to be alone for a while... " She walked into Troy's bedroom, slammed the door, and locked it.

Tense times rose upon everyone.


	44. Rejecting His Opinion

December 24th, 2010: 10:49 PM

Christmas wasn't the same...

Gabriella sat gloomily on Troy's couch, staring at the tree with no presents under it. Torn wrapping paper was in front of her. No traces of the little boy she loved...

Nothing.

Her parents were gone, Troy's parents were gone...

Nobody lurked around the dorm other than Gabriella and Troy.

Christmas had been very tense. Everyone was happy-go-lucky around Griffin, but eyes checked Gabriella's body, looking at the small bump sticking out of her shirt. She felt extremely insecure.

She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Troy, just leave me alone." Gabriella stared at the wrapping paper.

"No Gabriella, we need to have a serious talk." He sighed. "I want this baby, and you don't."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You never want to, but we need to talk about it." He took a seat beside her.

They both stared at the empty Christmas tree.

"It's time to really be serious about all this, Brie. We have to decide what we're going to do right now."

She looked at the floor and shook her head. "I don't know what I want to do."

"That's why we're going to talk this through."

Gabriella sniffed. "I really don't want another baby, Troy. I'm eighteen, in the middle of my senior year, and about to go off to a college in Massachusetts. I can't raise another baby."

"Do you really think I want to raise a baby? Damn Gabriella, I missed out on my son's first two years of his entire life! I saw how hard it was when I was with you, and I really don't want to have to go through that again! I just don't want you to have an abortion, because we're punishing an innocent baby for a mistake that we made. Please Gabriella... "

She sobbed as a couple tear fell off of her face. "Fine Troy, I'll keep this baby." She wiped her eyes. "Just don't expect me to be going to college anytime soon."

"Just because you have a baby doesn't mean that you can't go to college."

She stood up. "I'm leaving." She started towards Troy's bedroom. "I can't stay here any longer... "

"Why not? What's going on with you?" He followed her.

Gabriella zipped her suitcase. "I'm calling a cab and going to the airport... " She sobbed. "I'm getting an abortion whether you like it or not Troy. I can't take care of two kids."

"Gabriella, please- "

"If I can't take care of another baby, then you can't either!" She grabbed her duffle bags and her suitcase, and began to walk to the door. "Bye Troy."

"Baby! Please don't leave! Let's talk through this!"

She opened the door and slammed it behind her.

Life began to get even more screwed up for Gabriella.


	45. Not So Lonely Stadium Anymore

December 25th, 2010: 8:48 PM

The stadium was lonely.

She reached towards the lightswitch, flipping it upwards. Two lights flashed on, then the next row, then the next...

It held many memories.

Gabriella slowly walked into the field, looking around like it was brand new to her. But she had history there. A lot of history.

She had one kid, and the other was gone. Murder happened right there on the operating table, while Gabriella was in a peaceful state of mind. But, she dreamt bad dreams... The doctors cutting her open, slicing open her uterus, removing a life that was growing and learning new things every day, and just throwing it away. Throwing it away that little life, then lifeless, like it was trash. It made her stomach churn.

But she was a little happy she wasn't pregnant anymore. She only wanted one kid, and that was Griffin. Not a little girl or another little boy, just Griffin. It would be different if it wasn't just Griffin.

She wrapped her arms around her empty stomach, holding her sides as she stopped in the middle of the field. She looked around, imagining the roar of the excited crowd, imagining the football players sweating blood on the field, watching her boyfriend spiral the ball with great talent and grace... It wasn't like that anymore. She wasn't a Freshman, and Troy wasn't a Sophmore. She was a Senior in High School, and Troy was a Freshman at college. And they had a son together, a beautiful little boy that Gabriella cherished every day of her life. She thanked God for her little boy, and the wonderful relationship that she had with Troy, well, the broken-but-fixable relationship she had with Troy. Atleast they had a relationship. But, she didn't thank God for her messed up and twisted life.

Gabriella opened the gate and stepped gently onto the freshly-painting white bleachers. She imagined the rude and stupid people that rooted for the other team, but she grew up that way and loved it. She imagined the families with their kids, watching their big brothers play football. She missed that.

It wasn't the same.

"Gabriella?"

She didn't turn around. She ignored the voice and continued to walk up the bleachers.

"Please Gabriella... "

"What do you want?"

"I want to tell you that I love you."

"Well, I love you too."

No answer.

"Are you sure about that?"

Paused silence.

"It's routine. When you say I love you, I say it back, whether or not I do or not."

Silence.

"Why are you avoiding me?"

More silence.

"I do love you, with all my heart baby." The voice repeated.

"Troy, please just go and find something else to do but torture me."

"I'm not trying to torture you."

She turned around.

"I don't want to be away from you." He said.

"Well, you're mad about me for having an abortion, and I understand why, but I made that decision because I knew that neither of us could raise another baby."

He sighed and began to go up the steps towards her.

"I'm not mad at you. Maybe a little aggravated, but I know that you were scared and you only wanted to do what was right for us. But Brie, it wasn't the right thing to do. It was pretty selfish, if you think. You decided to punish something that didn't do anything to get inside of you. You punished it with death."

"I don't regret getting an abortion, Troy." She said lowly.

"I know you don't."

She let a tear drip down her face.

"Aren't you happy with just Griffin? Your little boy? The one person that's going to carry your legacy with him everywhere?"

"Gabriella, Griffin is what I revolve around. I love that kid like no tommorow. Yeah, I would be happy with just Griffin, but I was going to take responsibility for an accident, and you decided to take matters into your own hands. You should have listened to me."

Gabriella sat on the bleacher and put her face in her hands. Her body jerked, and her voice became teary. "I didn't know where to turn... I was so scared... "

"Awh baby, don't cry... I know you were scared... " He sat on the bleacher beside her and rubbed her back. "What makes you scared to have another baby, when you really wanted the first one?"

"I just... " She sobbed. "I didn't want to go through hell and back trying to raise two kids... Trying to go to college, and trying to repair our relationship... I'm so sorry... "

"Well, the damage is done." He opened his arms. "Come here."

"I'm sorry... I really do love you Troy... I'm just so upset and angry... " She moved closer to him, rested her head on his chest, and cried softly. He closed his arms around her body and rubbed her back soothingly.

"I know you love me. You don't have to tell me twice." He kissed the top of her head gently.

"I felt so alone... I didn't know what to do... " She sniffed.

"But you weren't baby girl. You had me, and I would have been there for you every step of the way." He rested his chin on her head.

As she felt safer and more secure in his arms, he sensed it, and hugged her tighter, telling her that he loved her with his entire heart and that she would never be alone. But suddenly, she asked a weird question.

"Do you think we'll ever have any more kids?" She wrapped her arm around his torso and kept her head on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat.

Troy looked into the football field he used to romp around in, the field that he grew up on, the field that held so many good and bad memories...

"Yeah, I think we will."

Gabriella entwined her fingers gently with his long and strong fingers. "But I don't want any more for a while. I'm good with just my Griffie."

Troy chuckled. "Whether you believe it or not, I'm happy with just Griffin too. It doesn't matter to me if we have anymore kids or not Brie, but it matters that I spend the rest of my life with you and with Griff."

She stroked his chest. "I wanna spend the rest of my life with you too."

"I love you, princess." He kissed the top of her head.

She closed her eyes, stopping the consisten flow of tears. "I love you too."

Troy looked up, watching the bright stars shine down on him. He swore one of them blinked at him. It was a sign of good luck, and maybe that good things would happen in the future.

He looked back down at Gabriella. She lookd up at him with slightly reddened eyes. As one more tear dripped from her face, Troy leaned down and kissed it away. He pulled her into a warm hug and cradled the back of her head in his hand.

As Gabriella began to shiver, Troy noticed that his watch read 1:06 AM. He laughed inside his head and looked down at her.

"Well, my parents probably already locked me out, and yours I know already did, so... "

"So?" She grasped his shoulder in her hand and moved away from his body to look at him in the face.

"Do you want to just crash right here?"

She giggled a little, then nodded and moved forward, touching his lips gently with hers. As she pulled back, he took his jacket off and covered her with it. He layed on the bleacher, then pulled Gabriella down and held her gently, protectively.

"Goodnight Troy." She said in a whisper.

"Night baby girl." He kissed the skin behind her ear and nestled his face into her hair.

And they both fell silently to sleep as delicate snowflakes caressed their soft skin.


	46. Regrets Of The Past

December 26th, 2010: 6:31 AM

One of Gabriella's eyes slowly opened, revealing a still-lit football field. She yawned and snuggled back into Troy's chest. "Babe, are you awake... " She whispered.

"I've been up all night." He kissed the top of her head. "I've gotta piss really bad." He chuckled a little.

She sat up a little, freeing his arms from her. "Then go."

"I can't. Restrooms are locked." He stood up and stretched his arms. "Eh... I'll just go on the field. Nobody will ever know."

Gabriella watched as he slowly walked down the flight of bleachers. She stretched out, then began to make her way down the bleachers as well. As she got to the bottom, she spotted Troy in the middle of the field, just walking deliriously. She folded her arms and started over to him. "I thought you had to pee."

"I did." He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned around.

"Then what are you doing?"

"Just... Remembering... " He looked up at the sky.

"You miss the field?" As she approached him, she wrapped her arms around his strong body and kissed his chest.

"A little." He held her body with one of his hands, stroking her back with it. "I remember when I got hurt here. I still get migranes from it every so often."

"I remember that day... I was so scared that you weren't going to ever play again."

"But I tried to tell you that I was fine." He stroked her hair.

"I knew you weren't fine." She said slowly.

He let go of her and began walking towards the exit. "Grab my coat. We're leaving. I can't be here too much longer."

"Why not?"

"Just go get my coat." He said as he got about halfway there.

"Troy, wait! Just tell me what's going on!"

"Nothing." He stopped and turned around.

"Come on Troy, just tell me. I won't tell anyone, you know that!" She began to walk towards him.

He ran his fingers through his hair. "So many bad memories... "

"I thought you had good memories on the field." As she approached him, she entwined her fingers with his left hand.

"I had millions of good memories, Brie. Being promoted from running back to QB was the greatest moments of my high school career. Working so hard my entire life to win a full scholarship to become a college football player... Feeling the little raised bumps on the football gripping my hand, and letting that ball go to a perfect spiral... Man Gabriella, it was the best time of my life... But bad memories took over all the good memories."

"What bad memories?"

Troy sighed and entwined his fingers with her other hand. He kissed one of her hands. "Being tortured for years about Griffin. My god Gabriella, Griffin's my pride and joy, and I love him like I've never loved any kid in my entire life, but he made me go through things that I should have never went through. It's not your fault you got pregnant, nor is it Griffin's. It's my fault. I should have used protection. But that's not the point- "

"Then what's your point?" She looked into his eyes. "Did they beat you up or something?"

"No, but they talked shit about me for the rest of my high school career. They talked about how you were a slut and about how I fell for you... They would say things about Griffin and about how ugly he was, or how much he acted like his slutty mom... But I never let them go through the locker room without telling me how they didn't mean to say it." He laughed a little. "I would get in their face and argue the point that you weren't a slut, that Griffin was beautiful and that they were just jealous that they didn't have him... I just felt like a total ass Gabriella, for years... And it's not your fault, babe. You didn't do anything. Even if you begged me to have sex with you, I should have made you wait, because I took a little girl's virginity- " A couple tears fell from his eyes, and he smiled and wiped them away. "I don't care how much you wanted a baby, or how much you wanted sex, I never, ever, should have had sex with you. I feel like I made you grow up too fast... Damn Gabi, fifteen and not a virgin isn't something to brag about, nor is fifteen and pregnant."

Gabriella kissed both of his hands and held his hands to her heart. "You never took this little girl's virginity. I gave it to you."

"But I took it like a slobby coyote scavenging for food- "

"I know what guys are out for. Sex. That's all they want. And don't say you weren't, because I know you were. I took advantage of that and told you not to use protection. I took away your life from you, from just those few times that we made love. I took your life and threw it in the garbage. I gave you a son that you should have gotten when you were thirty. I feel horrible for ever putting you through that when you were the top of your class, and loved by everyone. I hate it."

"Its not your fault, Brie. Don't blame yourself for any of it, because its not your fault!" Troy tucked a couple strands of hair behind her ear and pecked her lips. "I love my life the way it is. I have the most amazing, most beautiful, most spectacular girlfriend, and a beautiful little boy, and I couldn't be any happier, even if I was doing what I loved."

Gabriella sighed and looked at the grassy sea of the football field. "I should have never made that promise... "

"Well, the promise is done. It's been over three years. Let it go, Brie." Troy wrapped an arm around her body. "Let's just go home, okay?"

She nodded. "Go get your coat?"

He grinned. "Please?"

She sprinted across the long field, entered the caged area, and grabbed his coat. She caught up with him as he exited the field.

She wasn't ready for the thing that was ready to hit her.


	47. Troy and Gabriella's Bath Time

December 29th, 2010: 9:48 PM

Troy fumbled with his keys at the front door of his parents' house. He sighed and glanced up at her quickly.

"Sorry Brie. I don't think I have the key with me." He whispered, trying not to wake his sleeping son.

Gabriella boosted Griffin up a little and placed her hand gently on the back of his head as it began to roll off of her shoulder. "Then knock." She whispered back.

Troy still fumbled with his keys and jammed one into the lock, then turned it sideways. Nothing. He knocked lightly on the door.

"Damn it mom, wake your lazy ass up... " Troy said to himself.

He knocked louder.

Griffin lifted his head up, eyes squinting and mouth open, yawning. He began to whine as a tear dropped off of his cheek.

"Awh, Griffin, it's okay." Gabriella kissed his cheek.

Troy began to pound on the door. "We're just trying to get Grandma Kay up, because she is supposed to watch you tonight while mommy and I go somewhere, but obviously, she already went to bed."

Griffin whined a little harder and rested his head on Gabriella's shoulder. He buried his head into her neck.

"If your mom isn't going to watch him, then how are you going to show me the 'surprise' tonight?"

"I can't show you the surprise tonight." Troy stood up and sighed. "It's very secret. Nobody can know."

"Well then... " Gabriella rubbed her forehead. "I guess we have to keep Griffin for tonight."

"I guess so." Troy looked at the door one last time.

Suddenly, the door jolted open.

"Troy? Gabriella?" Kay's eyes were wide. "I'm so sorry you guys, I fell asleep on the couch and I forgot about Griffin... " She brushed her hair back a little.

Griffin lifted his head up and looked at Kay. "Gramma Kay?"

"Hi sweetheart!" Kay held her arms out with a huge grin. "You're gonna stay with me tonight!"

Troy stepped back at Gabriella handed Griffin to Kay.

Griffin looked over Kay's shoulder. "Grampa Jack?"

"Grandpa Jack isn't here Griffin. He's had to go to New York to work for a week." Kay looked at Gabriella. "I'm really sorry once again."

"It's alright." Gabriella kissed the back of Griffin's head. "Bye Griffie. I'll see you tommorow."

Griffin didn't respond.

And thus, Troy's surprise became surreal.

He put a white cloth over her face as they got into his truck. "Don't peek. I'm taking you somewhere."

"Where?" She giggled.

"A special place."

Thirty seconds later, he pulled into the driveway of the place and got out of the truck, helping her out. He helped her climb the stairs to the place, opened the door, and climbed down a short flight of stairs. He opened two doors to get to this place.

"Troy, where are we?" Gabriella stood in the entrance of the room. Troy closed and locked the door.

"You ready?" Troy grabbed the edges of the cloth.

"Sure." Gabriella giggled lightly.

He pulled the cloth off of her face.

She gasped.

"My god Troy, where are we?"

"A place." He grinned. "A very, very special place."

"It's so beautiful!" Gabriella walked towards the bed and traced her fingers along the silk blankets. "You did this all yourself?"

"I did." He opened the door to the bathroom "Come in here and look what I did."

Gabriella folded her arms, impressed, and slowly walked towards the bathroom. He shut the door.

The bathroom was lined with red, silky lacing and the bathtub was a red velvet color. The toilet was even laced.

Inside the tub was an elaborate pattern of red and grey, traced into beautiful hearts. But, the weird part was, the tub was filled with steaming water, and red flower petals lined the tub. Bubbles towered high above the water, forming mountains and valleys in the water.

"Troy, you did this all for me?"

He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek. "I did it all for my baby girl Brie." Soon after speaking, he kissed and sucked gently on her neck.

"Stop it, you little worm." She smacked his arm and rested her head on his chest. "I can't believe you rented this room for me."

"I didn't rent anything. It's all free."

"Really?"

"Sure is." He squeezed her butt and grinned. "I ran a bath for you, so go take it. I'll be in the bedroom, okay?"

As he began to walk out, she grabbed his hand.

"No, don't wait in the bedroom."

"Then where do you want me to wait?"

She tugged his hand a little. "Maybe if you're a good boy, I'll let you get in with me."

He gave her a sexy smirk. "You're one fine lady. I don't know if this ugly little boy can stand up to this goddess. I bet your boyfriend has a long chain on your tight little ass."

"Oh, my boyfriends really sexy. He's got beautiful blue eyes and has the most awesome brunette haircut."

"So where is this boyfriend of yours?" Troy grabbed her waist and spun her around to look at him. A small grin left the side of his mouth.

"He's right in front of me."

Troy looked around. "I don't see him."

"No silly, you." She poked his chest lightly and ran her hand up his shirt, tickling his ribs. "Now, are you gonna go scubba-diving tonight with me?"

"Well- "

"Yes... Or no?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I guess I can." He lightly brushed his lips against hers.

"Good." She pulled the edges of his shirt. "Now, this is supposed to come off, but why isn't it?"

It was off in a millisecond.

"Good boy."

"And this... " Troy seductively kissed between her breasts and ran his hand up her side. "Has to come off too."

"Well, I can't take it off. My fingers are numb." Gabriella's bottom lip fell out and her eyes became like a puppy's.

"Then how are we going to get it off?" Troy tickled the bottom of her shirt, then grasped it between his hands.

"I guess my sexy boyfriend is going to have to take it off for me."

Troy took the chance and lifted her shirt slowly over her slender body, over her head, and threw it in the laundry basket in the corner, where his shirt was.

"Now, these... " Gabriella tugged at the waistband of his jeans. "Gotta come off too."

"Of course they do, but not until this comes off." Troy touched her leg.

"Well, I'm not taking my bra off until you take your jeans off." She crossed her arms.

"Fine." He quickly unbuckled his belt, unzipped his pants, and threw them in the laundry basket.

And Troy reached forward, pushing his fingers through the tops of her jeans. He stroked the skin gently above her genitals, teasing it, making her want more.

"Just take them off and stop teasing me... " She grabbed his shoulders as he unbuttoned and unzipped them. He moved his fingers to the sides of her jeans, the slowly pushed them down her smooth legs. She stepped out of them.

And then, without her knowing, Troy quickly grabbed her underwear, and yanked them off of her legs. She grabbed his shoulders quickly, holding her balance.

"You naughty boy! Santa isn't going to get you anything for Christmas next year!"

He loosened his boxers and let them fall down his legs.

"Now, we're almost even." Troy touched the strap of her bra.

She reached behind her back and unclasped her bra, pulling it over her shoulders and down her arms. She let it fall to the ground.

"Are we even now?"

He smirked. "Oh god... Are we ever... "

She began to walk towards the tub. "Come on Bolton. Are we gonna play in the tub or not?"

Troy rubbed his hands together and followed her every footstep. "What are we gonna play, my fine lady?"

"I don't know yet! You tell me." She stepped over the edge of the tub and lowered herself into the steaming water.

He stepped in also, and lowered himself in across from her. The two brunettes now faced eachother through the cloud of bubbles.

Troy rested his arms over the edge. "So, why did you invite me to a sexy bath time?"

She smiled a little. "Cause I need to talk to you."

He grabbed one of her hands. "About what?"

With her other hand, she grasped some bubbles and squeezed them between her fingers. "About the abortion."

"No Gabi, we're not talking about the abortion- "

"We need to talk about it."

Troy looked into her eyes. "Why do you want to talk about it?"

"Because I know it hurt you." She squeezed his hand a little.

"Hell Gabriella, I really wanted that baby. I wasn't there for Griff as a baby. Even when I was with you, I never was much help, and I was never really around. That baby was a chance for me to be the father I never was."

"But we couldn't take care of another baby, Troy. You know that. Finanacially, yeah, we could have did it, but mentally, physically, emotionally, there was no way."

Troy nodded sadly. "I know it would have been hard... "

"We would have been wet rags by the time that baby grew to about three, all rang out and dry." She looked deeply into his eyes. "I did the best I could to raise Griffin. I couldn't raise another baby even if I tried."

"Let's just stop talking about this." Troy said softly and pulled her body a little closer to his, staring into her eyes. "Why don't we talk about something else?"

"Like what?"

"Like... How gorgeous and sexy you are."

"And how hot and sexy you are?"

"Sure."

Silence.

To spice up the moment, Gabriella came up with a genius idea.

Gabriella grabbed the soap bar and looked at it funny. "This looks like the soap bar I have in my tub."

Troy bit his lip. "Well, that's because I know its Zest and you like Zest, don't you?"

She purposely dropped the soap. It slid behind her.

She cocked a sexy smirk beneath her lips. "Whoops, I dropped the soap."

"I didn't feel it come over here." He lifted himself up a little bit above the bottom, cleared the bubbles from behind him, and looked. He was falling into her dirty tricks.

"Well, sit back down stupid. I felt it go behind me." She turned a little and reached behind her. She touched the bar of soap. "Nope, not behind here."

He grabbed one of her hands. "I've got another bar of soap. I think we're alright."

She frowned in dissatisfaction.

"Okay."

He kissed her hand. "You know I love you, right?"

"I love you too." She scooped some bubbles into her hand and blew it. She laughed a little.

"I love you more."

"No, I love _you_ more!"

He grinned. "Let's just say we love eachother a lot, before we get into a war."

"That's fine by me." She giggled. "Now, where did I drop that soap?" She reached under the water, grinning like crazy, and reached around for the "soap". Troy suddenly chuckled a little and grinned.

"Brie, that's not the soap."

"I think it is."

"But its not."

"Then what is it?" She said, holding in her laughs.

"My dick- "

Gabriella shushed him. "Griffin- "

"Griffin's not here, remember baby?"

"Oh... " She leaned back in the tub. "I forgot."

"Used to having Griffin with us, huh?"

She nodded sadly.

"Well, he's with my mom, and that means he's getting spoiled to death and is having loads and loads of endless fun."

But something still felt weird in Gabriella's heart. Like something bad would happen.


	48. Knock Out At School

April 31st, 2011: 3:09 AM

It was weird, because time seemed to fly after she went back to school.

About to graduate in a month, Gabriella was ready. She was ready to spend the rest of her life with Griffin and Troy, somewhere far away from Boston. She was ready to go to college and make something of herself, maybe go off to beauty school instead of college, since Troy was beginning to roll in some cash. He was accepted into the Patriots' team. The coach had came to watch the football players, and picked out four potentials. Then, he picked out two players, had them do some drills, then picked one that he would pay to play in college, then would move on to become a Patriot player. Well, that player was Troy. He got EXTREMELY lucky.

Gabriella rolled out of bed quickly. She threw the blankets back.

"What's wrong baby?" Troy said tiredly as he rolled towards her side of the bed.

She didn't respond. She headed straight for her bathroom.

"Are you alright?" He sat up.

She shook her head as she went into the bathroom.

"Sick again?"

She nodded.

Griffin exited his bedroom, rubbing his eyes. "Daddy?"

Troy yawned. "What little man... "

"Gotta pee... "

"Wait until mommy's done." He held his arms out. "Come sit up here with me."

Griffin whined a little and climbed slowly onto the bed.

"Just hold it. Don't pee on the bed."

Griffin whined again.

"And don't whine, little baby."

"I not no baby!" Griffin crossed his arms and pouted.

"No, you're not, but little babies whine, and you're whining, so you're a little baby."

"No!"

"I'm just kidding, god Griffin!" Troy thumped him lightly on the side of the head.

"Daddy!"

"I'm sorry." Troy laughed.

Gabriella exited the bathroom sullenly.

"Alright, now go pee." Troy pushed Griffin off the bed. "And don't forget to flush it this time."

Gabriella timbered onto the bed with a large groan.

"You think you have the stomach flu or something?"

"I don't know... " She mumbled. "But my belly hurts and my back hurts a little."

"Well, any time _your_ back hurts, you're pregnant."

"But I'm not, Troy. I've taken about six pregnancy tests over the past couple months. None say that I'm pregnant. I've went to the doctor three times now. Every time, I wasn't pregnant. So don't be talking about me being pregnant." She sighed.

"Did you take one recently?"

"Yesterday, Troy! I took two to make sure! They came up negative!"

Troy rubbed her back gently. "Well, you want me to take you to the doctor tommorow and ask them what's going on?"

"They won't do anything!"

"They might be able to help- "

"Damn it Troy, I've been there three times. They tested me for being pregnant, having strep, flu, meningitis, cancer, the whole nine yards. You know what came up? NOTHING."

Troy sighed. "Maybe you're just eating something too greasy for your body to handle."

"I haven't eaten in two days."

"That'll make you throw up and get a stomachache." He took his hand off of her back."

"But this has been going on for months now! I feel like a sickly puppy!"

Troy sighed. "I don't know what to do."

She climbed under the blankets and rolled on her side. She curled up. "Just let me suffer... " She sobbed.

"Baby, don't cry... " He moved her hair from her face and kissed the edge of her cheek. "I'm not going to let you suffer."

"Then what are you going to do?"

"Find a doctor who's gonna help you." He rubbed her shoulder a little.

Griffin emerged from the bathroom.

"Flushed?"

Griffin nodded.

"Good boy. Now go back to bed."

Griffin shook his head.

"What's wrong?"

He pointed to their bed.

"No Griffin." Troy sighed. "Not tonight. Mommy's not feeling good."

His bottom lip hung out and he sobbed. "Mommy sick?"

"Griffin, come here... " Gabriella said gently and patted the edge of her side of the bed. He trudged over to her and looked into her eyes.

"What's wrong Griffie?"

"Sick?"

"I don't know Griffin. My belly hurts and my back hurts. But I'm okay baby." She kissed his nose. "Now, go lay back down and go to sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

"I love you." He pecked her lips.

"I love you too Griffin."

He climbed onto the bed quickly and pecked Troy's lips. "I love you daddy."

"I love you too Griffin, now get in there and go to sleep."

Griffin started into his room.

"Wake us up if you wake up first, okay?" Troy said.

Griffin nodded and shut his bedroom door behind him.

Troy rubbed Gabriella's shoulder. "I'm going to take you to the doctor whether you like it or not." He kissed the top of her head and turned the lamp off. "Goodnight angel."

She pouted.

...

Gabriella sat in the middle of Government. She tapped her pencil against the solid-framed desk and propped her head up with her head as her teacher dragged on about the review of the amendments and the constitution.

She began to drone into deep thought, ignoring the pain of her stomach, and ignoring the boring blabbing teacher in front of her. Her mind became relaxed, her body became relaxed, and her eyes felt heavy. They slowly shut the light out, and her brown orbs were staring into a sea of black.

"Miss Montez!"

Gabriella broke free from her trance and looked at the teacher. "What did I do?"

"Shall I recite the rules?" He walked towards his laptop to pull up the rules.

"No!" The class yelled.

"You better be studying the rules, because I'm going to give you a quiz any time now over them. I don't care if it's the end of the school year, you better know these rules inside and out." He growled.

Gabriella suddenly just fell out of her chair.

"Gabriella, are you okay?" Caitlin rushed from behind Gabriella and helped her up.

Gabriella blinked a couple times, shocked that she had fallen out of her seat. "I... I... " She sat back down in her seat.

"Miss Montez, if you can't cooperate, I will send you to the principal's office! Now, pull yourself together, stop making a fool of yourself and pay attention!" The teacher snapped.

Gabriella placed her head in both of her hands, staring at her desk with wide eyes. Her pencil began to roll. Her eyes began to roll. Her arms fell limp, and she was kissing the floor again, but this time, everything was colorless.

Black.

...

Gabriella's eyes pulled open. She held her eyelids up with the last strength she had. She was staring at a white ceiling.

"She's awake... " She heard a voice, but it was muffled and faint.

"Thank god... " Another voice.

Gabriella tried to pull her arm up, but her arms were completely numb, as was her legs. She felt a thousand pounds heavier.

"Gabriella... " A voice whispered. She could faintly feel a hand grab her arm. "We were so worried... "

Gabriella heard her baby cry. She knew it was him.

"Griffin... " She tried to say, but her tongue was numb too.

A towel wiped the side of her mouth. She obviously had drooled when she said it. She couldn't control it.

"Shh... " The voice said. She could now recognize that it belonged to Troy.

"Troy... " She said. "What... Ha-ppened... " She said faintly as she closed her eyes and gulped.

"You fainted or something in the middle of your class." Troy brushed her hair. His voice was becoming a little more clear.

"Why... "

"You were tired." He kissed her forehead. It felt numb.

"I'm sorry... " She heaved a little and coughed.

He chuckled a little. "Don't be. It wasn't your fault."

After about five minutes, the feeling came back to her body. She sat up a little and blinked a couple times.

"Where am I?" Gabriella held Troy's arm to keep her body stable.

"In the school's office, baby."

"What school office? What's a school?" She seemed confused.

He looked at the office lady. "I'm gonna go ahead and sign her out. She's got a little amnesia. She needs to pull herself together. It might do her some good to see our son."

"Our son? What son?"

"Griffin, baby. Your parents are watching him."

"What are parents? Who's Griffin? I don't have a son." She was sincerely and completely confused.

Troy signed off to take her home. He moved back towards her. "Put your arms around my neck, baby." He held her sides as she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck. As he picked her up, she wrapped her legs gently around him. He held the bottom of her thighs, stroking them with his thumb tenderly. He kissed her shoulder.

"Thanks." Troy said.

"Your welcome." Said the office lady. "Aren't you Troy Bolton? You graduated last year as top of the football team with a full scholarship to New York?"

Troy smiled. "That's me."

"You've got a son?"

Troy boosted Gabriella up a little. "I've had a son for three years. I never told anyone. He's from when Gabriella was a freshman and I was a sophmore."

"Oh, I was just wondering." The office lady said, weirdly. "Well, have a nice day."

"You too." Troy exited the office with Gabriella.

...

Gabriella finally remembered that she had a son and parents by the time she pulled into the driveway of her house. Troy turned his truck off and helped Gabriella out and into the house.

Troy immediatly took her to her bedroom and layed her across the bed. She covered up. He turned the air conditioner down low.

"You comfy, baby?"

She nodded.

"Now, go to sleep princess." He kissed her forehead and moved her hair out of her face.

Griffin suddenly bursted into the room. He had tears rolling down his cheeks, and he was screaming.

"MOMMY GOT HURT!" He cried hysterically. "MOMMY!"

Troy immediatly scooped Griffin into his arms. "Hey, shh... " Troy hugged Griffin tightly. "Mommy's okay Griff, I promise. She's right here. Ask her."

Griffin didn't even bother to look over towards hers. Instead, he buried his head into Troy's shoulder and screamed his heart out.

"Griffin, I'm okay." Gabriella tried to say, but Griffin could not hear her through his screams.

"Listen Griffin, mommy's trying to talk to you! Listen!" Troy tried to calm him down. It didn't work.

Instead, Troy just set Griffin on the bed. He slowly crawled up to Gabriella, still screaming, and collapsed into her arms, crying his heart out. Gabriella held his little body tightly and rubbed his back. "Baby, I'm okay! I promise Griffie!" Gabriella stroked his blonde hair and held him a little closer. "Please stop crying baby!" She kissed his head and shushed him.

Griffin's crying receeded a little. It turned into uncontrollable sobs and snot.

"Troy, get him some toilet paper or something for his nose." She held Griffin in her arms and rocked him back and forth.

Troy shot into the bathroom, grabbed some toilet paper off the roll, and handed it to Gabriella. She helped him blow his nose, but afterwards, he continued to sob.

He buried his head between her breasts and wrapped his arms around her body. He couldn't stop crying and sobbing.

Gabriella covered him and herself up with a blanket and layed down on her pillow. He didn't move. He sobbed and cried even harder.

"Shh... " She held the back of his head gently. "Mommy's right here baby... " She whispered.

Gabriella nodded towards the door.

Troy nodded and kissed the top of her head. "If you need anything, just yell for me." He whispered and exited the room.

Gabriella sat in the room for an hour with Griffin, cuddling and holding him tight to make sure that he would calm down. But for a long time, he continued to sob and cry. Finally, after about an hour and a half, he drifted into a light sleep, and Gabriella sighed in relief.

Another half hour passed. Gabriella lie on her bed with her sleeping son. She stroked his hair gently and examined his small body from head to toe. She loved every part of him, from his short, stubby fingers and toes to the tip of his blonde hair, and from his baby blues to his little belly. There was nothing more she loved in the world.

But, one day, she would see her baby go off into his own world.

It would crush her.

She kissed the top of his head and sighed, waiting for an answer to her life.

Why was her life placed this way?

Why did she end up becoming a teen mom?

Why did she yearn for a baby in the first place?

Why is her life so messed up?

Troy cracked the door open and poked his head in.

"He's asleep." Gabriella looked up.

Troy came in and shut the door behind himself.

"Is he alright?" Troy leaned against the door.

"He's fine now."

"Do you want me to put him in his bed?"

"If you want." She moved away from Griffin a little.

He gently grabbed his son in his arms and took him to his room. Gabriella could hear Griffin whining a little, but Troy shut the door behind him and sighed.

"He's just upset because he was taken away from you. He'll get over it and go right back to sleep."

Gabriella wiped her chest off. "He slobbered all over my boobs like he was a newborn."

Troy bounced onto the bed beside her. "Are you okay now?"

She nodded slowly.

"What's wrong?"

"I just don't know why I would have fainted like that, then got up and didn't remember anything that happened, or who anyone was but you... "

Troy wound his keycard to the stadium on his finger and let it go, letting it fall to the blankets. "Don't ask me." He said quietly.

Her stomach gurgled a little.

"My stomach just felt like it flipped over." Gabriella sat up quickly.

"Brie, calm down, it's just stomach acid." He pulled her back down on the bed.

A tear fell out of the corner of her eye. "I just don't want to faint again. That's what I felt before I fainted, and that was the only thing I remembered."

Troy heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." Troy said.

Gabriella expected it to be Maria, but it wasn't.

"Caitlin? Harvey?" Gabriella pushed her hair back.

"Sissy... " Caitlin sobbed and ran to her bedside. "I was so worried about you... "

Colt jumped happily onto the bed. He rested beside Gabriella and set his heavy head on her side.

"I'm fine." Gabriella said. "I just don't know what's going on."

Troy looked at Harvey weirdly. He pointed to the sliding doors leading to outside.

Troy looked over at Gabriella. "I'm gonna go outside with Harvey while you two talk. If you need me, just open the window and yell."

Gabriella nodded.

Troy followed Harvey out the sliding glass doors and walked up the stairs to the fresh air.

Immediatly, Troy ran his fingers through his hair.

"Man, I'm so scared for her... " Troy sighed and walked into the middle of the yard. "I don't want anything to happen to her again... "

Harvey grabbed the brand new football Troy purchased for himself. He threw it up in the air and caught it. "You think she's just a little stressed with Griffin and all?"

"I don't know Harvey. All I know is that I'm starting to get really worried."

Harvey looked at Troy. "Do you think she might be pregnant again? Because I know when Caitlin got pregnant with Ursala, all she did was faint. She never really got sick or anything."

"But Brie had an abortion- " Troy covered his mouth. "I wasn't supposed to say that." He whispered to himself.

"Gabriella had an abortion?" Harvey stared at Troy in shock. "Troy, how could you let her do something?"

Troy kicked the ground. "I didn't let her do it. She wouldn't let me have any say in what she did."

"When did she have it?"

"December." Troy sighed. "December 26th or 27th, I think."

"But she still could get pregnant between now and then."

"We haven't had sex since she stayed with me in New York. She won't let me touch her! It's impossible for her to be pregnant! So stop trying to insist that she is!"

Harvey dropped the football and held his hands up. "Okay man, geez." He laughed. "Just trying to come up with an answer!"

"And besides, she's went to the doctor, and they have said that she isn't pregnant four times now!" Troy groaned. "Let's just get off that subject... It's a touchy subject." He held his hand out. "Football."

Harvey threw the football lightly to him.

Troy threw it back.

They continued to throw it back and forth.

The only noise heard was the football landing in the guys' hands.

Silence.

Because Troy knew there was a chance that Gabriella had been lying and kept the baby.

But she would be fat.

And she didn't show an inch of fat on her body.

Troy became confused.

Severely confused.

So confused that he needed to find the answer.


	49. In A State Of Shock

June 3rd, 2011: 1:39 AM

Gabriella's body felt a sudden rush flowing through her body. It felt like blood splashing against her sides. Her legs became warm.

She jumped off the bed.

"Troy, I think I just peed all over the bed." She pulled her sweats away from her body and looked down into them. "Okay, maybe not. I just started my period... "

Troy rolled to the other side of the bed. "Just clean it up and go back to sleep baby... " He mumbled. "I just got home from working sixteen hours baby... I wanna sleep... "

Gabriella sighed and placed her hands on her hips, staring at the blood spot on the bed.

"But I just had my period, Troy. I stopped about four days ago... "

"Just go to bed Gabriella!" He slammed a pillow over his head. "God damn!"

...

About two hours after changing the sheets and her clothes, she woke up, feeling the pain rushing down her spine.

"Troy?" She shook his body. "Troy, my back's killing me... "

He groaned. "Damn it Gabriella!" He sat up in bed and pushed his hair forward a little. "I want to sleep! If your back hurts, go take a painkiller and come back to bed!"

Troy rubbed his eyes.

Gabriella sobbed. "Well, sorry!"

Troy sighed and threw the blankets back. He pulled his shirt over his head. He then grabbed his shoes.

"Where are you going?"

"To my mom and dad's to get some sleep." He slipped on both of his shoes.

"No! Troy, stay here! Please!" She got up and ran towards him. "Please stay!"

He walked into Griffin's room and picked him up, throwing him over his shoulder.

"He's coming with me too." Troy walked directly past Gabriella and into her den. "He's gonna stay up all night if I don't."

She begged him to stay, but her cries didn't work. He slammed the front door in her face. She could hear the car start and drive away.

Her parents were out for the night.

Alone.

Quickly, Gabriella became paranoid at every noise there was. A creak, a snore from the dogs, a mere bed sound made her jump up. She became quickly frightened.

The outside thunderstorm was already bad enough.

She suddenly felt another burst down by her legs.

She went to the bathroom, and noticed something strange.

A scream flew from her mouth.

It rang off of windows and glass, doors and wood, and the entire house sounded like a murder scene.

And looked it.

"TROY!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, feeling volts of pain around her spine.

She stumbled into the bedroom, half naked, and grabbed her cell phone off of her dresser. She tried to call Troy.

No signal.

She cursed at the phone and threw it against the wall. Luckily, it was extremely durable and fell to the floor with a thud.

She was on her own to figure out the problem.

...

Troy lie in bed, Griffin beside him. Troy stayed away. So did Griffin.

"Daddy, I'm scared... " Griffin whimpered from the rain.

"Man up Griff. It's just a rain storm. No big deal." Troy grabbed one of Griffin's hands.

Kay opened the door a little. "Troy?"

He sat up quickly. "It's me, mom."

She sighed in relief. "Thank god... I thought somebody was breaking in."

"No, just me." Troy rubbed his head.

"Is Gabriella with you?"

"No, but Griffin is."

She shut the door and walked into Troy's viewing. "Hey pumpkin head!" She whispered to Griffin with a big smile on her face.

"Hi Gramma Kay!" He jumped off the bed and ran to her.

As Kay picked Griffin up and gave him a big hug and a kiss, Troy layed back down on the bed. He wondered if Gabriella was asleep.

"So, why did you come so late at night?"

Troy sighed. "Gabriella was keeping me up. First, I worked a sixteen hour shift today, because one of the workers skipped today. Then, Gabriella keeps me up with her endless complaints about her period and about her back pains. So, I grabbed Griffin and we're down here for the night now."

Kay set Griffin back on the bed. "She's probably scared out of her wits! She hates being alone at that house."

"Trust me mom, there's nothing to be scared of there. I've been to her house for years now, and there is nothing to be scared of."

Kay crossed her arms. "Well, I'm gonna take the dogs out real quick, because they're whining, and I'm going to go check on her." Kay shut the door behind her.

Troy remembered that he had left Rai and Cartier at his parents' house. He totally forgot about them.

...

Gabriella knew that she was all on her own.

It was so quiet that she heard her flesh tearing. She screamed in pain.

It wasn't until Kay walked in that she felt safe.

"Gabriella?" She could hear Kay yell.

"KAY!" Gabriella screamed from her bedroom.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Kay bursted into Gabriella's bedroom.

Gabriella shook her head. "I don't know what's going on! My back is killing me, and when I went to go to the bathroom, I noticed that there was something there... "

"What's there?"

She arched her back and shook violently in pain. "Please... Just get Troy over here... "

Kay noticed blood leaking through the blankets. "Are you on your period?"

Gabriella nodded. "I think so... "

"Here, let me change your sheets and your blanket... "

Gabriella sobbed and slowly stood. She held the edge of the bed to keep herself steady.

A gush of blood spurted from between Gabriella's legs. She looked at the floor in horror.

"I've never had a period so badly!" Gabriella's eyes were wide.

Kay grabbed her arm. "Sweetheart, go sit on the toilet so that you don't get blood everywhere."

Gabriella obeyed, letting Kay help her weak body to the toilet.

Gabriella tried to put a tampon in.

It went directly in without a problem. It didn't grip the sides of her.

"What the hell... " She pulled the tampon out and threw it away. She saw something weird...

"KAY!" Gabriella screamed in horror.

Kay dumped a pile of sheets in the laundry basket. "Is something wrong?"

"GET IN HERE!" Gabriella began to break down.

Kay opened the door. "What's going on?"

Gabriella showed her. Kay almost fainted.

"Oh my lord... " Kay fell against the wall. "How is this happening?"

"I don't know... " Gabriella sobbed and stood up.

Kay took action. "Stay on the toilet! I'll make you a spot on the bed... " She ran to the bedroom. Five minutes later, she came back and helped Gabriella onto the bed.

Kay washed her hands in the bathroom. "How are you going to tell Troy?"

"I don't know... " Gabriella sobbed. "I don't even know how this happened!"

Kay came back into the room. "I can't believe that you were pregnant this entire time... " Kay looked at Gabriella's stomach. "You look like you did before you had Griffin!"

Gabriella shook her head. "I had no idea... "

...

Troy watched an ambulance race by and pull into Gabriella's driveway. "I'm not waiting any longer... " Troy stood up from his bed. He walked into the hallway and peered into his dad's bedroom. "Dad, an ambulance just pulled into Gabriella's driveway... "

Jack jumped up. "Well, go see what's wrong! I'll stay here with Griffin. Come back and tell me what's going on!"

Troy nodded. "I will."

...

He raced across the street to Gabriella's house. A gathering crowd of neighbors began to watch the house from the driveway. Troy pushed his way through them and into the house.

"Sir, you're not permitted to be here!" A paramedic pushed Troy back.

"Kay's my mom and Gabriella's my girlfriend!" Troy said desperately. "Please, tell me what's going on."

"Someone just gave birth." The paramedic pushed Troy out of the house. "Now go stand outside- "

Kay ran up to the paramedic. "No, he's my son. Let him in."

The paramedic backed off. Kay grabbed Troy's hand.

"Birth? Who gave birth?" Troy asked his mom. His eyes got huge. "Oh no mom... Gabriella didn't... "

"She did, Troy." Kay began to walk towards the basement. "She had a baby... "

"There's no way, mom... " Troy shook his head. "The pregnancy tests, the doctors, the abortion- "

"I'm sorry baby... " Kay kissed his hand and lead him into Gabriella's den. "I'm just as confused as you are. Gabriella's in there, shell-shocked and extremely frightened. She's in a lot of pain, too. You need to go see her."

"But mom... "

"No, Troy, she needs your company... "

Troy revolted. "No, mom... She didn't have a baby... " Tears rolled down Troy's cheeks. "She was never pregnant... "

"Then come see for yourself. You'll see." She dragged him into Gabriella's bedroom.

Troy was mortified by the scene.

Gabriella, rolled on her side, facing the door. Sobbing, crying, gripping the bedsheets in horror...

The bed below her was soaked in blood and yellow slime. She was staring at the wall, completely in a state of shock and horror. But overtop of that, her body was quivering with fear and her eyes were producing tons of tears.

Troy looked to his left, watching two paramedics surround a gurney. Another paramedic was between Gabriella's legs, stitching through her extremely sensitive flesh. Every time he pushed the needle through her skin, she jumped and cried a little harder.

He couldn't see her in that pain.

But he was watching it.

It was reality.

"Baby... " Troy covered his mouth. "Are you okay?"

Gabriella continued to sob and cry.

He walked slowly over to her bed. "Please answer me... " He knelt beside her bed. "Please Brie... "

She seemed to stare right through him.

"I know you're scared baby, and I'm really scared too, because I don't have a clue why this happened- "

Gabriella buried her head in her pillow and cried hysterically.

Troy rubbed her back and looked up at his mom. "Where's the baby?" He hadn't used the word 'baby' in two and a half years.

"Over there with the paramedics." She pointed.

"Is it alive? Breathing? Okay?"

Kay rested her hand on his shoulder. "Baby's fine. Pulled through nicely."

Troy stood to his feet. "Stay with Gabi. I have to see for myself- "

"Then go." Kay grabbed one of Gabriella's hands. "I've got Gabriella."

Troy felt like it was a death sentence, walking over to the gurney which the paramedics were surrounding.

Troy peered over the paramedics.

"Oh my god... " He shook his head. "How the hell could this happen... "

There lay his brand new daughter, sucking on a pacifier with her eyes shut gently. She was a little small, like Griffin, but looked like a healthy baby.

He covered his mouth in shock. There was nothing more in the world that he feared.

Having to take care of another human being.

He looked over at his mom.

"Mom, did you know anything- "

"I knew nothing, sweetheart." Kay shrugged.

"How... " Troy looked back at his daughter.

The paramedic finished sewing Gabriella together again. She didn't respond to anyone, not even Troy.

"Miss Montez, we need your authority to take your child to the hospital." He held a clipboard and a pen out to her. "Your signature."

She stared right through him, sobbing, crying, carrying on...

He sighed. "We need someone's authority- "

"I'll sign it." Troy stepped up.

"Are you her spouse?"

"No. I'm her boyfriend and the baby's father." He felt his left leg buckle at the words 'baby's father'.

"We can't lt you sign then. Where are her parents?"

"Out. They won't be back until Monday night. She think they'll be back tommorow morning." Kay looked at Troy. "So, who's going to sign off?"

"Gabriella Montez _has _to sign off or else her baby will not get medical attention. She doesn't have insurance because she didn't know she was pregnant, so we have to get someone's authority." The paramedic set the clipboard down. "And obviously, she needs medical attention too. I did the best to sew her up, but she needs some psychiatric help too, since she's in a state of shock."

"Woah, wait a minute." Troy looked at Gabriella. "She's in such a bad state of shock that she needs medical attention?"

"She's in a ninth degree state of shock. She isn't aware of anything around her, and she can't function. Her brain is shutting off. She is in _dire _need of medical attention."

Troy looked over at his daughter once again. He knew that she needed medical attention. She was too tiny and too skinny not to need medical attention. And Gabriella obviously needed it too.

"Damn it... " Troy sat in the chair and ran his fingers through his hair. "I'll pay you my entire check if it means getting them to the hospital. Please, just take them. I'll drive there."

The paramedic looked at Kay. "Do you know if she has insurance?"

"She still has a few days of school left, so she probably has CareSource."

He wrote it down. "Okay. She can go. But the baby has to be paid for. It'll be fifty for the ambulance ride." He looked up at Troy, holding his hand out.

He pulled his wallet out. "You people are stingy... " Troy gave him two twenties and a ten. "Happy?"

He shoved them in his pocket. "Thank you sir. We'll get them to the hospital right away." He turned around, walked a couple steps, and turned back. "Oh, and we need you to come along for the ride. A couple questions have to be answered. Since she can't answer them, you would be the next best person."

"That's fine." Troy looked at his mom. "Go home and bring dad and Griffin to the hospital. Call Gabriella's parents, okay?"

"I will." Kay hugged her son tightly, a couple tears running down her cheeks. "I love you, and don't forget that you have a little boy waiting to see you at the hospital."

"I love you too mom." Troy wiped his eyes. "And I'll remember."

She kissed his cheek, placed her hand on it for a couple seconds. "Be strong for Gabriella."

He nodded.

He watched his mom run away from him and out the front door.


	50. Sierra Mountains Between Them

June 3rd, 2011: 4:09 AM

Troy anxiously waited at Gabriella's bedside.

A mask covered her beautiful lips and her cutesy nose. She breathed slowly. Deep, slow sleep...

Her eyes were shut. They seemed eternally shut.

Her body was limp.

Her fingers were limp.

But Troy held one of her hands, hopeful, desperate, trying to reach out to her lost mind...

But she didn't wake up.

"Come on Brie... " Troy kissed her hand and coaxed her. "Griffin's waiting for you. I'm waiting for you. The baby, she's waiting for you... "

The heart monitor beeped slowly.

"I never wanted anything to happen to you. You're my girl. The sunshine that makes my life bright... "

Her finger twitched. Reflexes were working sharply. Her senses were dull.

"Our little girl is beautiful, Gabi. She's got really light hair like Griff, and she's got your beautiful face, and the short fingers and toes like your dad, and your beautiful eyes... Don't you want to see her?"

Her eyes tensed. She sucked in a large amount of air.

"Brie?"

She coughed through the mask.

"Are you okay?" He stood up.

Her eyes shot open. She stared at the ceiling.

"Baby?" He squeezed her hand. "If you're okay, squeeze my hand back... "

He could feel her tiny and weak hand muscles slowly tighten.

"Oh my god Gabriella, you had me scared half to death!" Troy kissed her hand. "Can you say something?"

Her eyes slowly scanned Troy. "Troy?" She said weakly.

"Yeah baby, I'm Troy!" He smiled big.

She adjusted herself a little. "Troy... Troy... Troy Bolton... Troy Alexander Bolton... "

"That's me." He pushed her hair out of her face. "Griffin's waiting to see you outside."

Her eyes got wide. "Griffin, my son... Griffin Harley Bolton, my baby... Where is he... " She looked at Troy.

"He's outside with my mom and dad."

"Kay and Jack." Gabriella sighed.

"And our daughter's in the NICU."

"Daughter?" Gabriella cocked her head to the side.

"I'll explain a little later. Right now, Griffin wants to see his mom." Troy let go of her hand. "I'll go get him."

She continued to repeat the word 'daughter'.

Troy bursted out of the room, happy as can be.

"She's awake, and talking!" He said to his parents. He looked at Griffin. "You wanna go see mommy?"

Griffin yawned and nodded slowly.

Troy picked him up.

"Does she know about the baby?" Kay stood up with Jack.

"She doesn't remember." Troy looked at his mom. "But she's starting to speak fragments."

"Let us know when you're done, because we want to see her." Jack took one of Kay's hands. "Hurry."

"I will." Troy said as he entered her room and went directly over to her bed.

She slowly looked over at Griffin. "Griffin." She held her arms out.

"Mommy?" Griffin's eyes watered. "Sick again?"

Gabriella nodded slowly. "This helps me breathe baby. But I'll be okay."

Troy set Griffin carefully on the bed beside Gabriella. She embraced him wit tears running down her face.

"I love you so much Griffin." Gabriella sobbed. "So much... "

Troy heard the door open. The nurse walked directly in front of Gabriella's bed.

Troy looked weirdly at the nurse. "Is the baby okay?"

She looked up at him. "She's a month premature, but she'll be okay. Her birth weight is low, and she's a little dehydrated, but that will change with increased feedings."

Gabriella was completely confused. "What baby? I only have one baby, and he's right here. And he's a boy, not a girl."

"I told you Gabriella, I'll explain... "

"But you're welcome to go see her." The nurse smiled. "She's healthy and strong for a baby who is premature. She looks a lot like her dad, I can see." The nurse looked at Gabriella. "Since you're finally awake, I'm going to shut the Oxygen off. If you can't breathe, let us know, and we'll turn it back on."

Gabriella nodded.

Troy looked at the nurse quickly and headed for the door. "I'm going to go see her. I'll send my parents in to be with Gabriella." He said quickly as he exited the room.

He jogged down the hallway. His parents got the cue and went into the room with Gabriella.

Troy headed for the NICU.

A nurse stopped him.

"What are you here for?" She glared at him.

"My daughter is in here. Her mother is my girlfriend. I need to see her.

"Name?"

"Her mother's name is Gabriella Montez. She had the baby at her house. I'm paying my entire paycheck to keep my daughter here. I deserve to see her!"

The nurse looked at the clerk. "Cleared?"

She was typing extremely fast on a computer. Then, she looked up at him. "He's been cleared by Doctor Gregaro. He can see her.

She sighed and moved out of the way. "Turn left here, and the nurses there will escort you into a room where you'll get to see her."

Troy smiled a little. "Thank you."

"No problem."

He turned left, and was caught by another two nurses.

They took him into a room on the right of him.

"We'll bring her in. Her mother is Gabriella Montez, correct?"

The other nurse made him sit in a chair. "Yeah, that's her."

"Okay, we'll get her here in a minute."

Troy felt like his chair was a rocket and he was about to burst into outer space.

He watched at his daughter's incubator was pushed into the room. He stood.

"Is that really her?"

"She's a tiny thing, isn't she?"

"She looks like a little doll little girls play with."

"She is very lucky that her body is full developed, or else she would be here for weeks. She's completely healthy, other than being premature." The nurse uncovered her.

He watched at the nurse unraveled his tiny daughter from her swaddled blanket. She covered her with a silky pink blanket and handed her to Troy.

She looked tinier than Griffin was.

She was about 13 inches long, which was very little. On her card, it read 5 pounds, 4 ounces, and she was barely that. He could throw her in the air with no problem.

He walked around the room with her, carrying her delicate body in his strong arms, staring into her dark eyes, wondering how it had ever happened...

But he didn't care how it happened.

All that mattered was that they had a daughter, and she was here, whether they liked it or not. It wasn't too late to find someone to adopt her.

Troy didn't want adoption.

He wanted his daughter.

His life was complete. All he ever dreamed of doing was playing professional football until he decided to retire from it, settling down with the girl of his dreams, and having one boy, and one girl. The only dream that hadn't came true was his picture perfect life.

And that would probably never come true.

His main concern was now three people. Gabriella, Griffin, and his daughter.

Which he had the perfect name for.

Now, he was too attached to let her go.

"I've got such a cute name that I know your mommy is gonna like a lot. Do you like the name Sierra? Because your name is going to be Sierra Grace Bolton."

He smiled down at his daughter, who gripped his pinky in her tiny hand and stared up into his eyes. He kissed her forehead.

All he ever wanted was here now.

...

Gabriella sat alone in her room.

She had the explanation about her daughter.

She was not happy.

She wanted answers why her abortion had not went through.

She wanted answers why she had a scar across her stomach for no reason.

She wanted answers why the doctor didn't take the baby out.

She wanted answers, period.

A doctor walked into her room. "I've contacted the doctor who did your abortion on December 26th."

"And?" She crossed her arms angrily. "What the hell did he say?"

He looked at his clipboard. "He said that he did perform an abortion. He took the fetus out. He forwarded pictures of the entire procedure to our fax machine. He even recorded the entire event, like he does with every abortion just for evidence in case something like this happens."

Gabriella was fuming. "I want pictures. There is no possible way that he took that baby out, because she's sitting in the NICU with her father right now. The nurses even confirmed that I was eight months."

The doctor handed her an envelope with pictures in it.

She emptied it out and layed the pictures on the table.

There is was.

The doctor cutting her open.

The doctor pulling the monkey-looking thing out of her exposed flesh. Gabriella's face was visible in the background, fast asleep.

The doctor cutting the cord.

The fetus lying on a table, completely dead. It made Gabriella shiver and sob.

It had a note-tag on the side of the table. She read it.

Female fetus. 0 pounds, 2 ounces. Two months, three weeks pregnant.

She stared in horror.

"This isn't right... " Gabriella sobbed. "There is no way... I just gave birth to her! Kay was the one who helped me! She saw everything! That baby came out of me, and she cut the cord, and she called the ambulance- "

The doctor cut her off. "Could I suggest twins?"

"Twins? Wouldn't the doctor see once he got inside?"

"It was the doctor's error for not looking hard enough. The fetus was probably so small that he didn't find it."

"But I came to the doctor four times for a pregnancy test, and all four times, it was negative!"

He shrugged. "Things we have aren't always accurate."

"Then wouldn't the doctor have seen something in my uterus when he did an ultrasound?"

"Miss Montez, I have no explanation why this happened or why the equipment failed to tell you that you were pregnant. There were no visible ways to tell, no physical signs to tell, the only sign you had was sickness. You even said that you had your period throughout the entire time you were pregnant, which lead you to believe that you weren't pregnant. Honestly, I think this was a very bad medical mistake that is the doctors' faults. I truely apoligize on their behalves- "

"That doesn't make up for the daughter I have now!" Gabriella sobbed. "This is bullshit!"

The doctor sighed. "I am truely sorry, miss Montez."

"I'm getting a fucking lawyer and I'm sueing that doctor that did the abortion, and all the nurses and doctors who told me I wasn't pregnant." She sniffled. "I swear to god, this is ridiculous... "

"That's on your own terms." The doctor held his hand out. "I need the pictures for evidence."

Gabriella scooped the pictures up and put them back into the envelope. She handed them to the doctor.

"Give me the names of the clinics you've visited since last October, when you got pregnant."

"Hillside Midwife Organization, Southeastern Hospital... Pomereno Hospital... "

"That's it?"

She nodded.

"I'll get in contact with them and the doctors. What's the place you went to get your abortion?"

"Doctor Janson's Clinic for Pregnant Women, in Boston."

"Okay, thank you."

As he walked out of the room, Gabriella immediatly got on the phone.

She called her parents.

"Hello, this is Vincente` Montez. May I ask why the hospital is calling?"

Gabriella figured that Troy's parents hadn't called them yet. "This is your daughter."

"Gabriella?" Vincente` yelled through the phone. "Sweetheart, what are you doing in the hospital?"

"I just gave birth." She said blandly.

"Gave birth?" He almost dropped the phone. "Are you serious?"

"I'm dead serious, dad. I have no clue how or why this happened. My doctor is suggesting that when I had that abortion, the doctor only pulled out one baby, and that there were twins."

Vincente` sighed. "Gabriella, another child?"

"Don't be blaming me! Blame the doctor who did my abortion!"

"But you can't care for another child- "

"I have to... " Gabriella sighed. "I promised myself to never give one of my children up for adoption. And plus, I can't just give my baby to someone else... "

Vincente` sat on his bed. "I just can't believe it... "

"Either can I. I didn't even look pregnant, I didn't gain any weight, all the tests came negative... " She watched Troy come into the room. "I'll call you back later with more details."

"Be strong, okay? Remember that your mother and I are waiting to hear from you."

"I will dad, bye." She set the phone on the receiver and looked up at Troy.

"Are you okay?" He pulled the incubator behind him. "Well enough to meet our daughter?"

Gabriella shook her head. "I don't know if I can, Troy. I'm still in shock... "

He sighed and walked over to her. "You can't ignore this forever."

"I won't." She looked at the blankets. "But I just don't know how I'm going to do this again."

"We'll make it through it." He grabbed one of her hands. "I'm here this time, and I'm here to stay."

"That's what you said last time." She sobbed.

"But I'm not going anywhere baby... " He kissed her hand as he took it and sat down in the seat beside her. "I'll do anything you ask me to do."

Gabriella stared at the incubator blankly. "Physically, mentally, emotionally... I don't know if I can do it again... What about adoption, Troy... "

"No Gabriella." He stood up. "No adoption... "

"You don't know how hard it is to take care of a six month old baby, or a year old baby, or even a year and six month old baby!"

Troy looked over at his daughter. "I can't give her up, Gabi. She's ours. We created her. We can't just throw her away like trash- "

"But Troy!" Gabriella's eyes watered. "We have Griffin and ourselves to take care of!"

"NO!" Troy screamed in her face. "I LOST ONE KID FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS OF HIS LIFE! I'M NOT LOSING ANOTHER!"

Gabriella put her face in her hands and sobbed.

"I'm not giving up another kid... " Tears ran down Troy's face. "I need this chance, Gabriella. I need it so, so bad... "

Gabriella looked up at him, fuming. "FINE! BUT DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE ME AGAIN!" She screamed.

It made him realize that life wouldn't be so easy.


	51. Life Seems Perfect

October 16th, 2011: 8:08 AM

Gabriella was kneeling at the edge of the tub, washing Griffin's hair and making sure that Sierra didn't suffocate herself in the water. She sighed in frustration as Sierra put a soapy toy in her mouth.

"Fine, chew on the damn soapy ring!" She had already taken it away three times.

Troy walked into the bathroom. Gabriella turned a little. "Oh, hey."

"Hey. You need a little help there?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because I can hear you yelling at Sierra from your den."

She stood up and shook her hands off. "Have at it, daddy. You try." She put the top toilet flap down and sat on it, crossing her legs and her arms.

"Watch daddy work his magic." Troy knelt by the tub, rinsed Griffin's hair out, washed Sierra's hair and risned her hair out, washed Griffin from head to toe, washed Sierra from head to toe, and stood up. It took him a grand total of three minutes.

"See? Not so hard, huh? You just can't handle two kids."

Gabriella was about to slit Troy's throat.

"Yes I can!" She pulled Griffin out of the tub first and handed Troy his towel. "You dry him off, I'll dry Sierra off."

Troy wrapped the towel around Griffin and picked him up. "Fine." Troy walked out of the bathroom. "Call me if you need help."

Gabriella growled.

"I don't need any help, do I Sierra... " She smiled at Sierra. "Mommy can take care of you all by herself."

...

Gabriella set Sierra against the pillows on her bed. Sierra was dressed in a pink fall dress. Griffin ran out of his bedroom dressed in his jeans and t-shirt.

"You ready baby?" Troy walked out of Griffin's room.

"Not really." Gabriella sighed and slipped her shirt over her head. "I hate this part."

Troy chuckled. "Hey, it's really not that bad. I think you'll do fine."

She picked Sierra up and grabbed her carseat. She strapped her in and picked it up, along with Sierra's bags and her own purse.

"Are we taking my truck or your's?"

"Yours." She said quickly. "So let's get going and walk to your house." She handed Gracelyn to Troy and took Griffin's hand. "Wanna go spend the day with Grandma Kay and Grandpa Jack?"

He shook his head.

"Why not baby?" She picked him up.

"I wanna go with you." He pouted.

"Griffin, you can't go today. Daddy and I are going somewhere important where no babies are allowed."

"I'm NOT a baby!" He whined.

"Okay then, anyone under the age of eighteen can't go, and that includes you and Sierra."

...

Troy opened the door to his parents' house and looked around. "Mom? Dad?"

He stopped in his tracks and set Sierra beside him.

"They promised to watch Sierra and Griffin today... " Troy looked up the stairs. "Hello?"

Gabriella sighed in frustration. "Now what?"

Troy turned around. "The door was open. They should be around here somewhere... "

Finally, Kay walked down the stairs. "Oh, when did you guys get here?"

"Just now." Gabriella said, relieved. "We thought you weren't here."

"Jack isn't here. He went to work early."

Gabriella set Griffin down and ran her fingers through her hair. "We need to get going before I'm late."

Troy nodded. "Alright." He took Sierra out of her carrier and kissed her nose with a big smile. "I'll see you later Sierra."

As Troy handed Sierra to his mom, Griffin ran up behind Troy and hugged his legs.

Troy happily turned around and picked him up.

"What little man?"

"I wanna say bye." He stuck his bottom lip out.

Troy hugged Griffin tightly and kissed his cheek. "I'll see you later." He said as he set him down.

Gabriella handed Kay Sierra's bags and kissed Sierra, then bent down and kissed Griffin. "We'll see you at two, Kay."

"Okay, I'll be here." She took Sierra and Griffin into the living room."

Troy opened the passenger seat door for Gabriella. "My lady... " He waved his hand toward the seat. Gabriella got in with giggles.

He got in on his side and turned the truck on.

...

Gabriella emerged from the front door with a huge smile. She turned to Troy and freaked out.

"Oh my god, we're in the same college!" She shook his shoulders and kissed his lips a couple times. "I didn't think it would be this easy!"

"I told you!" He grinned. "Emerson is close, for one, and you'll still get to live at home baby!"

She hugged him tightly. "I can't believe we're going together, though!"

He kissed the side of her head. "Just one more year, and you'll be in college with me." He smiled.

Just one more year...


	52. Whore In The House

October 18th, 2011: 2:34 AM

Gabriella sat quietly at Troy's parents' kitchen counter.

She had her head in her hands.

Another headache to deal with.

"Damn it Troy, where are you... " She said.

She looked at the front door again.

Nothing.

She sobbed and let a couple tears drip off her face. Nothing scared her more than Troy out and about at two in the morning. He could be at a club, a bar, with another girl... _Nonsense, he's on his way home to me and the kids. He's going to be home any minute... _She thought to herself.

But alas, he did not come home.

A half house passed. It was three in the morning.

Droopy-eyed and exhausted from a long day of chasing Gracelyn and Griffin around without Troy's help, she almost fell asleep at the counter. But she caught herself before her nose touched the marble counter-top.

She looked back at the front door.

Nothing once again.

She sighed in agony and cried a little more.

Kay must have heard her.

She walked down the stairs and peered into the kitchen. "Sweetheart?"

Gabriella sobbed and looked up. She quickly wiped her tears away. "Oh, hi Kay... "

She sighed and stepped off of the steps. "I think you need to get some sleep, Gabriella." Kay set her hand on Gabriella's shoulder and kissed the top of her head. "Griffin and Sierra are already in a dead sleep, so nobody should wake you up... "

"That's not why I'm not sleeping... "

"I know why you're not sleeping." Kay stroked her hair a little. "Troy's been gone since this morning. I know. He's my son. I'm aware of that."

"And you don't worry?"

"I've been worried all day Gabriella." Kay sighed. "I'm scared that something happened to him."

Gabriella sobbed again and put her face in her hands. "I'm scared he's out partying and cheating on me again... God, my kids... This can't happen again... "

"I don't think he would risk that again sweetheart." Kay sat at the kitchen table with Gabriella.

"Kay, you don't know that side of Troy. He likes to drink. He likes the taste of beer, wine, rum, anything with alcohol in it. He likes to party and have sex with sluts. He's just... I should have never got with him. It was the biggest mistake I ever made. I wouldn't be in this situation if I didn't say yes to his pleads for me to go out with him in eighth grade."

Kay set her hand on Gabriella's hand. "But if you never would have said yes, you wouldn't have Jack or me as your parents in law."

"You aren't my parents in law."

"Maybe not by law, but you are our daughter, whether you like it or not." She giggled a little. "You're stuck with us."

She sobbed again.

"And you wouldn't have your beautiful little boy, or your gorgeous little girl. You would be with some other guy, maybe having a better life, but you wouldn't have your babies."

Gabriella looked down at the table as a couple tears dripped off her face. "My kids are the most important things I have."

"That's why you should be grateful for Troy. He's put you through hell and back, but he love you, whether you think so or not, and he's given you your two kids. Aren't you happy you have them?"

She nodded.

"Then don't be so regretful towards Troy." She smiled at Gabriella. "I wish I would have raised him a little better. I thought I raised the perfect kid, but I guess Jack and I didn't push hard enough on the alcohol and the partying thing." She kissed Gabriella's hand. "But you still have your kids, and that's all that matters."

Gabriella heard a small voice beside her.

"Mommy?" Griffin said quietly and tapped her.

She looked over and sniffled. "What's wrong baby?"

He whined a little.

Gabriella pulled him onto her lap and held his little body close to her. She kissed the side of his head.

"I love you so much Griffin... " Gabriella buried her head into his shoulder.

Gabriella and Kay both heard the door unlocking.

Kay noticed that somebody was coming in the house. It was Troy.

"Be quiet." Kay whispered to Gabriella. "I'll jump on him for being out so late."

Another silhouette followed him. Gabriella squinted to see if she was just seeing things.

He was holding the silhouette's hand.

"Come on." He whispered to the silhouette. "Upstairs- "

Kay flipped the lightswitch on.

There, Troy stood.

With a slut.

She was wearing heavy makeup and a prostitute-looking costume.

Troy's eyes got huge as he began to freak out. "Gabriella... What... Why are you... Why are you here?" He stuttered.

"What am I doing here?" She set Griffin on the floor. "_We _were supposed to take Griffin his first day of preschool today, remember?"

Troy looked over at Griffin and bursted into tears.

"Oh god, I should leave... " The slut said, and ran out the door.

Troy broke down. "I'm so sorry! I needed something, Gabriella! You won't do anything with me- "

"THAT DOESN'T MEAN TO GO AROUND AND FUCK OTHER GIRLS! WE ALREADY WENT THROUGH THIS ONE TIME, AND YOU LOST YOUR SON!" Gabriella screamed.

Kay immediatly turned around and grabbed Griffin in her arms.

"HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU CHEATED ON ME SINCE WE GOT BACK TOGETHER?"

"NONE!" He yelled.

"DON'T LIE, ASSHOLE!"

He sobbed and backed against the door. "Okay, twice... "

She almost slit his throat open.

"AM I NOT ENOUGH?" She sobbed.

"I love you so much... " He tried to coax her back in.

She slapped him hard across the face. "Don't lie, Troy!"

"I do baby! I love you so much! I love Sierra and Griffin so much!"

Jack walked downstairs. Kay told him everything.

"You did WHAT?" Jack laughed sarcastically. "Oh god kid, you're in big trouble this time... "

Troy looked helplessly up at his dad. Gabriella back off. She could hear Sierra crying upstairs.

Jack opened the door and took Troy's keys from him. "Go, before I kick your ass out this door!"

"What? You're kicking me out?"

"You bet I am!" Jack looked over at Gabriella. "How could you do this to Gabriella and your kids AGAIN?"

"I didn't mean to- "

"OH WAHTEVER!" Gabriella stepped in. "You've been a fucking child since I got pregnant with Griffin. _I _grew up. _You _stayed a selfless child! YOU DIDN'T STEP UP! If you want to go stay a kid, fine by me, but your kids are the ones suffering."

She sobbed and looked at Griffin, then back at Troy.

"You just blew your last straw, Bolton... "

"Blew my last straw?" Tears ran down Troy's face. "No, baby, please... I'm so sorry... Please don't take my kids away from me... "

"YOU HAD THREE YEARS TROY! THREE YEARS TO GROW UP AND BE A MAN, BE A FATHER TO YOUR SON AND YOUR DAUGHTER! THREE YEARS! YOU BLEW THEM!" She hiccuped and wiped her tears away. "I'm breaking up with you, for good this time... You won't see a hair of me or your kids ever again." She ran to Griffin, took him in her arms, and ran upstairs to Sierra.

"No, Gabriella!" Troy began to cry uncontrollably. "Please!"

Jack pushed him outside. "You just ruined your life, kid. For all I'm concerned, we won't be housing you here anymore. Go find your own fucking house and learn some responsibility, Troy." Jack slammed the door in his face and locked it.

Kay fell into Jack's arms, crying hysterically.

"What did we raise Jack? Where did we go wrong?"

Jack rubbed her back and sighed. "We didn't do anything wrong, Kay. Something went wrong in his head."

Troy's life wasn't at a hault. It was at a downpour.


	53. Griffin's First Day Of School

October 18th, 2011: 8:00 AM

Gabriella's eyes shot open from five minutes of nightmares.

Troy and that slutty girl.

She only fell asleep for five minutes because she was so tired.

She replayed the scene in her mind.

Her alarm clock finally went off, signaling the fact that Griffin had to go to preschool. It was yesterday that her and Troy were supposed to take him.

Gabriella sat up in her bed.

She cried for fifteen minutes straight.

Deciding that she had to be strong for her kids, she finally got the strength to get up and take Griffin to school by herself. It would be one day that Griffin would most likely forget, and one day that Gabriella would remember for the rest of her life.

Troy skipped out on taking his son to his first day of preschool to party and go clubbing all night, then brought a slut home and tried to have sex with her.

What a great father.

She cracked her back, and walked over to Griffin's bed in the corner. She kissed his cheek and shook him until he woke up.

"Hey baby, time to wake up for school." She said quietly.

He whined a little. "Where's daddy?"

She almost cried again, but held it in with all her might. "Daddy's not going to be able to take you to school."

"Why not?"

"Because... He's... Got a game today. But mommy's gonna be here for you when you go and come home." She brushed his hair back.

"But I want daddy... " He squinted up into her eyes.

"I'm sorry baby, but daddy can't come." She pulled him up to where he was sitting up. "Come on, let's get you in the tub. You've gotta look nice for school today."

Griffin unwillingly got up and walked into the bathroom. "Wait, I gotta pee first." He looked over at her.

"Go then. I'll get Sierra up."

She shut the door and walked over to Sierra's crib.

She carefully picked Gracelyn up out of the crib. Sierra immediatly began to whine as Gabriella set her on the bed.

"You gotta wake up sissy." Gabriella sighed.

Sierra immediatly saw a chew toy at her side and grabbed it, shoving it in her mouth.

"I knew you wanted that." Gabriella smiled at her.

After Griffin went to the bathroom, Gabriella shoved both the kids in the tub, washed them up, and got them dressed for the day in a grand total of twenty minutes. As she was about to walk out the door, Kay stopped her in her tracks.

"Jack said he would watch Sierra." Kay looked at Sierra and smiled a little.

Gabriella took the opportunity and handed Sierra over to Jack.

"And I'll go with you." Kay grabbed Griffin's hand.

"You don't have to." Gabriella sighed.

"You need someone." Kay said softly.

She shook her head as a tear dripped off her face. "Fine."

...

Gabriella got out of the car, along with Kay. She went to the backseat and unstrapped Griffin, helping him out.

"You ready to go to school?" She picked him up and kissed his cheek, trying to forget about Troy.

Griffin nodded happily.

She looked over at Kay. "I don't wanna let him go... "

Kay laughed and lead Gabriella up to the preschool. "When I took Troy to his first day of preschool, I cried my eyes out for eight hours until Jack brought him home. He was so proud of himself."

_Troy._

The name lingered in her mind.

She shook the thought off and entered the school.

As she walked down the hallway, she noticed one of her freshman teachers walking towards her. She sighed and looked weirdly at her.

"Hi Miss Conway."

"Hi Gabriella! Wow, I haven't seen you in almost five years!"

She laughed sarcastically. "I know... "

Gabriella set Griffin down.

"So, is this the baby you were pregnant with?"

Gabriella nodded.

"Oh, he's adorable! He looks a lot like you."

Gabriella became shy.

"So, where's his father- "

"I don't want to talk about Troy! Please!" She picked Griffin up again and walked past her teacher.

Miss Conway was stunned. "Is she okay?"

Kay sighed. "It's a long story. I'm Troy's mother, remember?"

"Oh, Kay Bolton. I remember you!" She smiled. "You're the baby's grandmother?"

"Yeah. I have two now. She just had another one four months ago."

"Really?" Miss Conway heard her phone beeping. "I'd like to keep talking, but I have to get to the high school. I was here for a conference, and I was supposed to be back fifteen minutes ago. It was nice seeing you, Mrs. Bolton."

"It was nice seeing you too."

Kay sighed again and ran after Gabriella.

Gabriella was staring into a room. A room full of kids.

That her worst enemy was the teacher's helper.

Haylie Kayne.

"Room 118." Gabriella looked at the sign. "No, they must have the room numbers wrong... "

Kay looked at the piece of paper. "Room 118. Mrs. Lee. No, the room isn't wrong."

Gabriella stared at Haylie. "That's Haylie Kayne, the girl Troy cheated on me with, twice, and dated... And the girl that convinced me to get pregnant in the first place. The girl that slit my throat... "

Kay looked at Haylie. "I doubt she's any threat to Griffin, sweetheart."

"My son isn't going in that class, Kay. No way... "

Kay walked into the room. "Is Mrs. Lee here?"

"No, but I'm here." Haylie turned around. "Oh, mom!"

Kay's eyes got wide. "Mom? You only dated Troy for a couple months."

"But I missed you!" Haylie looked over Kay's shoulder. "Oh, and the slut- "

"Haylie, this is a preschool." Kay shushed her. "Not around the kids!"

Haylie growled and backed off.

"Kay, there's no way Griffin's going in here- "

"Oh hello!" Mrs. Lee came up behind Gabriella. "We missed you yesterday!"

Gabriella winced inside her mind.

"Is there any way we can switch classes?" Gabriella begged her.

"No, the classes are final. All the rest of the classes are full."

Kay walked over to Gabriella. "Sweetheart, he will be fine." Kay reassured her. "Just let him go."

A couple tears rolled down Gabriella's cheek. She whispered in Griffin's ear. "Stay away from Haylie Kayne, Griffin. That girl over there." She pointed. "Don't let her touch you."

Griffin nodded.

"I love you, Griffin." Gabriella hugged him tightly. "Give me a kiss. I've gotta go."

Griffin pecked her lips. He grinned up and Kay and kissed her goodbye too.

"He'll be just fine, Gabriella." Mrs. Lee smiled. "Come on Griffin, let's go play with the other kids!"

Griffin bolted into the room, and immediatly took it upon himself to socialize with the other kids quickly. He picked up on it immediatly.

"Bye Griffie." Gabriella waved. He was too interested in the other kids.

"I'll see you at three." Mrs. Lee shut the classroom door.

Gabriella sobbed.

"Oh sweetheart, he'll be fine... "

Gabriella wasn't worried about Griffin.

She was worried about Troy, and about a new worry.

Haylie Kayne killing her son.


	54. The Atlantic Lake

October 19th, 2011: 7:08 PM

The lake was beautiful at sunset.

She felt like she could take a picture in her mind and remember it forever. It was just too serene and peaceful to forget.

The sun broke through the glass window softly, lighting up a small triangle of the room, including Troy's bed, which Gabriella was sitting on. The sparkling water dress patterns across the light, which reflected onto the bedspread. It looked like Gabriella was sitting in water.

Peace, harmony, quiet...

Then, reality struck.

She watched carefully as Sierra stirred awake beside her on the bed. Sierra whined quietly and was comforted as Gabriella gently placed a pacifier in her mouth. She looked up at her mother for reassurance, watching the painful expressions in her face.

Even her four month old baby could sense the grief.

Gabriella traced her fingers along Sierra's flowery shirt, and her soft jean skirt. The patterns were like the patterns of the water: long and tangled together.

That's how her life was.

Long and tangled.

She sighed and gently wrapped her fingers around Sierra, setting her between her legs. She kissed the top of her head and let Sierra wrap both of her hands around her index fingers.

"I love you, Sierra." Gabriella said softly, looking down at her daughter. "You're my beautiful little girl no matter what."

Sierra rested her head against Gabriella's stomach and sucked hard on her pacifier for a second, then let it fall out of her mouth.

She looked out the window again. "Let's go outside, Sierra."

Gabriella picked Sierra up and set her on her hip. She grabbed her pacifier and walked outside.

The water glistened beautifully of the sun's rays. It reflected those rays back, making the light unbearable to look directly at. For every ray, there was a strand of water, crystal blue, cobalt blue water.

Atlantic blue water.

The sand was like baby powder. As she kicked it up, the dust flew into the air, spreading across the air, then the grainy soldiers, collapsed and reunited with their fellow men, uniting as one. Her toes filled with the soft feeling, the feeling of the ocean's floor, and then the ice cold water. The cold drew higher on her legs as she waded in, chilling her entire body. She held her daughter tightly, not daring to let go.

But, she laughed, and quickly ran out of the water.

She walked to the edge of the dock, admiring the old creaks and squeaks of the worn out dock. This dock had viewed this lake for years, every day and every night, a guarding sentinel. It showed the side of the lake that people weren't allowed on, and honored itself for its hard work.

Gabriella sat at the edge of the water, putting the tips of her toes into the cold currents. Her chocolate orbs looked into the blazing sunset as her dark hair was pushed back lightly by the endless breeze. Sierra copied her mother, watching the sunset with her cobalt eyes, cherishing her mother as she pet her blonde hair gently. "I remember when I saw this for the first time. This is where your daddy asked me if I wanted to go out with him. Five months later, he asked me if I wanted to be in a serious relationship with him. I accepted the chance. That's how I ended up with you and Griffin." She giggled a little and kissed the top of Sierra's head.

She stared into the water.

She became the water.

The water was his eyes.

She shook the thought off.

The Atlantic blue eyes that she fell in love with, and that both of her kids inherited from their father.

She shut her eyes and tried to forget...

Atlantic blue eyes.

Troy's eyes.

The cheater's eyes.

The partier's eyes.

Her mind began to race her heart.

That roman nose, the soft lips, hair that was brown, straight, and forward cut, and those eyes.

Atlantic blue eyes.

She hugged Sierra tightly to her body and sobbed loudly as tears burned her soft flesh. Her fingers curled, her toes curled, and her insides churned.

Lean, muscular, tall...

Football player...

The way he touched her body, how gentle, how soft, how caring, how loving...

How he rides with her, moving with her body, as one body, as one being...

The way he looked at her.

The way he comforted her.

The way he held her.

The way he hugged her.

The way he kissed her...

Gabriella sobbed loudly again, crying hard as she buried her head into her daughter's hair. She poured tears on Sierra's hair, on her shirt, on her face. Her body shivered with fear as her legs drew up from the water. She hugged her legs, holding Sierra between, sobbing and crying from the pain of being hurt, from the pain of being crushed, lied to, thrown around, torn apart, stepped on. From the pain of being cheated on.

For the fourth time.

She remembered the time that she had said a certain saying that described Troy.

Once a cheater, always a cheater.

Now, she had a new saying that described her life.

Once cheated, always cheated.

And that was what Gabriella had been.

Cheated out of life.

Cheated.


	55. Cuts In Life

November 24th, 2011: 10:05 PM

Her body leaned against the bathroom door. She stared into Troy's room, watching her daughter peacfully sleeping in her crib, and her son, sleeping soundly on the bed. A slight breeze leaked through the window, but didn't bother anyone. It only tossed Griffin's hair a little.

She looked into the bathroom, looking at the tan tiles with the reddened corner beside the tub. The sharp blade lay motionless, waiting for its next victim.

It had already taken one.

She looked at her left arm, which was covered in a thin layer of caked blood cells.

And those blood cells dripped silent onto the hardwood floor.

She sobbed and looked away, a couple tears rolling down her eyes.

Cutting got her away from the pain...

She looked back down at her arm. The lacerations were deep and swollen with blood overflowing to the top. It leaked down the sides of her arms in steady rivers and streams.

It made one giant lake on the floor.

The pain dug deep within her heart.

She ached for him.

The pain was too overwhelming for her to take.

Silently, she brushed against the doorway, gently moved a couple stray hairs from her eyes, and sat down beside the lake. She stared at it.

And picked up the blade again.

She winced as the blade entered her arm, digging through her muscle and scraping as hard as she could against her skin. She cried hard, not being able to bear the pain, but continued on, until three fresh, new lacerations were dug into her arm.

Gabriella sat against the wall and sobbed, looking at the bloody floor. She hadn't realized what she had just did.

She looked at her arm.

It read "Troy".

She didn't even realize that she wrote Troy.

She used her thumb and ran her finger across the blood staining her arm, flicking it off and watching fresh blood ooze from the wounds.

She reached for the blade again.

She dug into her other arm.

This time, digging to deep through muscle and ligaments, she hit the bone.

She screamed and dropped the blade.

Holding her arms, her head dropped and she squeezed her arm, trying to get the pain to stop. But blood dripped out of the wound, faster and faster.

She started digging again.

And once she was done, she looked at the blade, caked in fresh blood. It dripped one, the blood falling on her blody knees. She threw the blade, and it hit the wall and dropped to the floor, making an acute tinging noise. Her body shivered with pain.

But, the physical pain was better than the emotional pain...

She would only cry for a couple minutes from the physical pain. She would cry from the emotional pain for long over a month.

Or two.

Or six.

Or twelve...

The door swung open.

"Gabriella? Are you okay sweetheart?" Kay said, not looking.

Gabriella let out a loud sob, and quickly tried to hide. "I'm fine." She said in a teary voice.

Kay spotted the bloody blade. She stepped inside the bathroom and picked it up. "Gabriella, why is there a bloody blade- "

She looked over at Gabriella and was completely shocked. She held her hand over her mouth and dropped the razor.

"Gabriella!" Kay screamed and backed up.

Gabriella bursted out crying hysterically and pulled her knees up to her chest, where she buried her head into her kneecaps. Kay could now see the full extents of losing Troy.

Her arms showed past scars over the new ones. They were bruised and yellow-tinted because of the cuts. Her face was bony and sagging, like all the muscle had been eaten away by maggots. Kay could see every single rib on Gabriella's side, her backbone, her kneck bone, the back of her skull... And her fingers were just bone. The skin was wearing thin, deprived of the needed nutrients.

She was starving herself...

And becoming suicidal...

Kay began to cry, not out of being scared, but out of pity for Gabriella. She didn't know that Troy cheating on Gabriella would do this much to her.

"Gabriella... " Kay took baby steps towards Gabriella, the tiles creaking beneath her bare feet. She stepped in the puddle of blood, and her tears began to mix with it as they dripped from her eyes. "Sweetheart, why are you doing this to yourself?"

Gabriella shook her head, keeping it buried in her knees. She didn't want to look at another disappointed face in her life.

She had already seen too many.

Kay reached out, not sure whether or not to touch Gabriella, because she was scared that her body just might break apart into tiny fragments and scatter everywhere. She took the chance. She set her hand on Gabriella's head and stroked her hair ever so gently. Gabriella cried harder.

Kay gently touched the wounds on Gabriella's arms with fear.

She feared for Gabriella's life.

"Gabriella, please talk to me... " Kay wiped her eyes, but more tears poured out. "Don't ignore me... "

Gabriella tightened her body into a ball and shut down. She didn't answer anything.

"Jack!" Kay yelled.

She looked back down at Gabriella, then down at the blood puddle.

"You have two beautiful babies, Gabriella... Why would you do this to them?"

Jack peered into the bathroom. "What, Kay?"

Kay pointed to the blade, and then at the puddle of blood she was stepping in.

Jack's eyes got wide.

"Did she cut herself?"

"She's been cutting herself." Kay sobbed.

Jack knelt on the floor by the blade and picked it up, examining it in his hand. He dropped it and walked carefully towards Gabriella.

"Gabriella, why are you cutting yourself?" He sat on the edge of the toilet and looked down at her.

Her ball tightened up. She began to whisper things to herself.

"He doesn't love you, he doesn't love you, he doesn't love you... " Kay and Jack could barely hear her through her jerks and sobs.

She seemed to shut off her hearing, because she didn't respond to anything that Jack and Kay said.

Jack pushed her hair out of Gabriella's face and rubbed her back, feeling every vertebrae in her back. He looked worridly up at Kay.

"Is this why you haven't been breastfeeding Sierra, because you can't provide anything for her?" He pulled her hair back and ran his fingers through it.

"He doesn't love you, he doesn't love you, he doesn't love you, he does't love you... " She continued on, still sobbing and crying hysterically.

"I'm calling 911." Kay stood up, wiped her eyes, and started to go towards the door.

"NO!" Gabriella looked up and reached out her arm. Jack could see the word "Troy" inscribed on her arm. "I'LL LOSE MY KIDS!" She sobbed and tried to stand up, but fell and almost knocked her head against the wall. "PLEASE!"

"You need help, Gabriella!" Kay sniffed. "You're going to end up hurting your kids in the long run!"

Gabriella finally got to her feet and stumbled into Troy's bedroom as blood dripped on the floor.

She leaned over Sierra's crib and roughly pulled her out of her crib. She started to cry.

She also grabbed Griffin in her arms and backed against the door. "They're my babies... Don't take them away from me... "

Blood began to stain Sierra's shirt. Griffin's became wet with blood soon after.

Griffin looked at his mother's arms and began to scream.

"Gabriella, you're scaring them!" Kay reached forward, but Jack held her back.

Gabriella slid down the door. "They're my babies... " She sobbed and held Griffin and Sierra tighter.

Jack held an arm out. "Gabriella, we're not taking them from you. But you're scaring them. We need to calm them down.

"No... " She shook her head.

Jack slid his hands around Sierra's body. He tugged a little bit, but Gabriella held tighter. Finally, she released her endless grip on Sierra, and let Jack take her. She squeezed Griffin in both of her arms, not willing to let him go.

Immediatly, Kay pulled Sierra's pajamas off. The blood was rushing out so bad, that it went completely through her pajamas and was on her skin and diaper.

"Jesus christ... " Kay said in vein, not realizing what she had said. She didn't care anyway at the moment. Her granddaughter needed her.

She changed her diaper and put new pajamas while Jack worked on Gabriella to let Griffin go. There was no luck. She held on tight, although Griffin's shirt was soaked in blood and his skin was beginning to get blood on it.

Jack held his hand out. "Gabriella, I'm not taking him away from you. He's gonna be right here... "

Gabriella shook her head and sobbed, innocent...

"Please sweetheart, please... "

She held tighter as Jack grabbed Griffin's hand.

"Come on... " Jack looked over at Kay.

After ten minutes of coaxing, Gabriella finally let Griffin go. He handed Griffin to Kay.

Jack knelt beside Gabriella, who was curled in a ball and lying on the floor. He grabbed her hand and stroked it gently with his thumb. "Kay will bandage those cuts for you, Gabriella. Please, we're just trying to help... "

He nodded at Kay. She ran into the bathroom, grabbed the gauze and two ace bandages, and ran out.

She immediatly began to bandage Gabriella's arm without any hesitation from her.

Gabriella sat up and allowed her to do it.

As Kay was bandaging the last arm, Gabriella looked at her for a mere second. Kay and her connected eyes.

Kay saw the innocent little girl that was begging to come out. She wore puppy dog eyes, big and chocolate, and her body was a limp, like she had given up hope.

"My babies... " Gabriella looked up at Kay sadly. "Where are you taking them?"

"We're not taking them anywhere, sweetheart." Kay said as she set the gauze on Gabriella's arm. "They're going to be right here."

"Where are you taking me? Am I going to a psych ward?"

"No." She rubbed Gabriella's hand a little, letting her arm bleed into the gauze.

Gabriella looked around the room, dilusionally. "Why am I here?"

"You've been here for almost two months now." Kay looked into her eyes. "You needed time away from your parents, remember?"

"Oh." Gabriella shook her head. "No, I don't remember."

Kay sighed and looked over at Jack. "She's confused. She's beginning to lose her mind, Jack. What are we going to do? If we call the police or the psych ward, they'll take the kids away from her."

Jack sat on the bed and sighed. "I don't know, Kay, but I'll figure it out."

"Do you think we could send her to a psychiatrist?"

"She needs depression medication, Kay. And maybe something to keep her mind sane, like Paxil or someting."

"Paxil? Depression? I don't have any of those things. I'm not insane." She insisted.

"See?" Kay sighed. "She's becoming senile, now."

"Senile? What's senile? Where am I?"

"See?"

Jack looked over at Sierra, then at Griffin. "They need her. She's the only parent they have left."

Kay finished wrapping Gabriella's arms. "I'm going to sleep with you tonight, alright sweetheart? Griffin and Sierra are gonna sleep with Jack."

"No, he's gonna take them away... " Gabriella looked innocently up at Jack.

"I told you Gabriella, your kids aren't going anywhere. They're staying right here in this house. Nobody is taking them away from you."

She sobbed and stood up.

Kay gestured for her to lie on the bed. "Go ahead and lie down sweetheart."

Gabriella was hesitant for a moment, then sat down on the bed. She didn't lay down.

"Jack, take them into the bedroom and put them to sleep on the bed." Kay sat beside Gabriella.

Gabriella became nervous.

"Tommorow, I'm going to get you some help... We're going to call your doctor and ask her what to do. Is that okay?"

Gabriella became hesitant again, but knew she needed the help and nodded.

"Okay, well lie down on the bed. I'm going to go clean up the bathroom a little."

Kay walked into the bathroom.

Gabriella knew she had made a huge mistake.


	56. Last Day In Massachusetts

November 28th, 2011: 2:30 PM

Gabriella set Sierra between a couple pillows on Troy's bed and grabbed her bottle.

"Okay Sierra, mommy will see you when you wake up." She whispered as she kissed the top of Sierra's blonde hair. Sierra fell fast asleep as Gabriella shut the door.

She went downstairs to take her medication.

She grabbed a bottle of Paxil off of the counter and shoved one in her mouth, swallowed, and leaned against the counter.

And she glanced down at her arms.

Troy was inscribed on her left arm. Three lines in a row on her right.

"Damn, I really did scratch myself up... " She said to herself and ran her fingers over the wounds. "I didn't even realize I did it."

She heard the phone ringing.

"Should I answer it?" She whispered, and looked at it. "I guess I should." She said, picking it up off of the receiver. The number looked oddly familiar.

"Hello?" She said softly and sat in the chair.

"Gabriella?" The voice said. She didn't recognize it.

She looked at her left arm again. "Who is this?"

The name was written on her arm.

"This is Troy."

She almost dropped the phone. Instead, she hung up and set it on the receiver.

It rang again.

"Hello?" She said again.

"Don't hang up on me." He said.

She sighed. "What is it now, Troy? Are you going to beg me to get back together with you? Because sorry, its not happening."

"No, I called to talk to my mom." He said coldly.

"Oh. She's not here."

"Then where is she?"

"Picking up Griffin from preschool."

Silence on the other end.

"How's it like being a partier without being tied down to kids?"

Troy laughed. "They're my kids whether you like it or not."

"No, they're my kids. You can call me any name in the book, or beat me to hell on the side of the road, but you aren't taking my kids away from me."

"I never said I was trying to."

"Well, it sure as hell sounds like you're trying to." She mumbled between her lips. Her fingers curled unevenly around the phone.

"Well, I'm not."

Silence.

"You never answered my question."

"I'm not partying, for one, and I'm trying to get myself a house right now, so I don't have to live in a god damn box."

"Bullshit. Stop lying, you ass. I know you're partying, and having sex with sluts, and you probably got some damn STD for all I know, hanging around all those sluts and whores. Hell, maybe drinking is shutting your liver down so you'll die tommorow, if I'm lucky."

"You don't have to believe me. You're tired of being cheated on and lied to and abandoned and left broken hearted. I get that. I don't want you to feel stressed for me to see my kids. If you really are that insecure about me seeing the kids, I can care less."

"So you're saying you could care less about your kids?"

"No, I didn't say I cared less about the kids- "

She became extremely hurt. He didn't care about his kids (although she was interpreting it the wrong way).

"You sick bastard! How could you not love your kids? Well, I could care less about you right now, because you hate your kids! WELL, I HATE YOU TOO, ASSHOLE!"

She pressed end and set the phone on the receiver. She slowly rocked back and forth in her chair, thinking hard.

About Troy.

And life got so much harder from there...


	57. Perfect Kids

January 12th, 2012: 4:14 PM

Sierra was six months.

Life became extremely rough.

And Gabriella was on her own.

She moved away from Massachusetts after Sierra turned about five months. She was on her own.

She found a beautiful house in North Carolina, no more than a quarter of a mile away from the beach. She took her kids and fleed from her family, ripping Griffin's, Sierra's, and her own heart.

But she had to.

Nobody wanted to help her anymore.

So, she had to take responsibility for herself.

She looked outside, watching the trees sway back and forth from the consistant flow of wind from the sea. The grass began to ripple like water, and the wind picked up slightly. It died down quickly after.

She began to have thoughts about her family.

The dog she took with her and was sick, Colt.

Her mother, who was probably worried sick about her.

Her father, who probably had an APV out for her.

Kay and Jack, who were worried that Gabriella had killed herself.

And Troy, who didn't give a damn and was just partying his life away.

She had grown up too fast for everyone.

Now being 19, she felt like her maturity level fit her age. She had a wonderful job, a beautiful vista, and two best friends that lived right beside her.

Caitlin and Harvey.

Caitlin offered for Gabriella to move to Southern Shores, North Carolina after she graduated, but Gabriella declined, because she was about to be accepted into a huge college. Well, Gabriella transfered to North Carolina and moved down there, right beside Harvey and Caitlin.

And that's how it all started.

Caitlin walked in the front door and shut it behind her. "Sissy? Are you home?"

Gabriella shut the glass sliding door in her living room and walked across the hallway, into the main room. "I'm here." She yelled from the main room and unlocked that door. "I have to leave at 20 after. Gotta go pick Griffin up from Preschool and Sierra up from daycare.

Caitlin opened the door and leaned against the door frame. "I've got something really important to talk to you about."

Gabriella grabbed Caitlin's hand and lead her into the living room. "Sit and talk. I've gotta clean up before my kids come home... " She frantically began picking up toys, blankets and sippy cups off of the floor.

Caitlin watch Gabriella with a worried look. She looked at her fingers. "Troy called."

Gabriella dropped the pile of blankets she carried on the floor in a big heap and turned to face Caitlin. "You didn't tell him where I lived, did you?"

"I didn't talk to him. Harvey did. But Harvey didn't say anything."

"I wonder what the hell he wants." Gabriella scratched her head and looked outside for a couple seconds.

"He wanted to know if we had seen you guys. He kept saying that his parents and your parents are worried about you and the kids, and that he really wants to see his kids and he wants to see you."

"What did Harvey tell him?"

"That we haven't seen you in a couple months."

"Good girl." Gabriella cocked a crooked smile on her face and picked up the blankets, dropping them in front of Caitlin. "Could you fold these up for me? Griffin was trying to build a clubhouse last night, so all these blankets ended up on the floor... "

Caitlin giggled. "Typical Sierra, typical Griffin." She said as she picked up a blanket and began folding it while Gabriella continued to clean.

"So, what else did he say?" Gabriella said as she set some sippy cups in the sink.

"He wanted Harvey to know that he had stopped partying and drinking, he was completely clean, and he was living on his own now. He still lives in Massachusetts, in Boston beside the ocean. He's also still playing college football- "

"I saw him in Sport's Illustrated Star College Player."

"Yeah, he also got accepted into the Patriots. He's going to start playing for them next year sometime."

Gabriella closed the toy bin and ran into the kitchen. "Anything else?"

"You'll have to ask Harvey."

Gabriella looked up.

"Shit Cait, it's already 20 after... " She grabbed her keys. "I'll be back later. If you feel up to it, clean my house."

"I might." She giggled. "I see you later, Gabi."

...

Gabriella looked at her phone quickly and then wiped the sweat beads off her forehead as she quickly rushed down the hallway towards Griffin's preschool class. She was already ten minutes late to picking him and Sierra up.

She immediatly went into the room.

"Mrs. Conway, I am so sorry. I wasn't even looking at the time... "

Mrs. Conway smiled a little. "Don't worry about it. I was planning on keeping Griffin a little later anyway. He had to finish his test on farm animals."

Gabriella opened her arms to Griffin and picked him up, swirling his little body in a circle before kissing his cheek. "I'm so sorry Griff." She thanked Mrs. Conway and went to go get Sierra, setting Griffin at her side.

Griffin was still the same kid, with the same vocabulary, but a smarter mind. He still had the Atlantic Blue eyes, and the beautiful blonde hair that sunk over his forehead and barely touched his forehead, just like Troy. And he was looking a lot more like Troy, too. Still a shorty, like Gabriella, but was still the cute little boy he had always been.

Gabriella dragged Griffin into Sierra's room. She sighed.

"I'm so sorry Mrs. Boone. Wasn't paying attention to the time."

"Perfectly fine." She didn't look up from the Sudoku puzzle she was playing.

Gabriella pulled Sierra onto her hip and exited the room quickly.

Sierra took after her big brother. She took a lot from Troy, too, with the Atlantic Blue eyes and the blonde hair like him, that fell forward. She was a tiny little girl, tinier than Griffin at that age, and acted a lot like Gabriella.

Sierra touched Gabriella's hair. "Mama." She giggled.

"Is my hair that pretty?" She looked over at her daughter and kissed her cheek. "You've got pretty hair too, like your bubby Griffie."

She pointed to Griffin.

"Yeah, that's your bubby." She held Griffin's hand tighter. "You love your sister, Griffin?"

He grinned up at Gabriella. "I love my sissy Sierra."

Perfect kids, huh?


	58. Visit To Mommy and Daddy's House

January 14th, 2012: 4:46 PM

Gabriella had made a rough decision the night before.

She looked over at Harvey and Caitlin, who stood there waiting for her response.

"No," She ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it back. "I can do this by myself."

Caitlin looked up at Harvey helplessly, then leaned against his large chest and entwined her fingers with his, looking at Gabriella. "I wish you wouldn't go for Christmas."

Gabriella giggled a little. "Oh, Cait. I'll only be gone for two days, until the 26th."

"But I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, sissy." Gabriella held her arms out. "Gimme a hug."

Caitlin let go of Harvey and quickly jumped into Gabriella's arms. "I don't want you to leave!" She sobbed.

"I'll be fine! I can take care of myself and my kids all on my own, Caitlin!" She laughed and kissed Caitlin's cheek. "I'll see you sissy."

Caitlin kissed her cheek back and sniffled.

Harvey reached forward and bear hugged Gabriella. "We'll see you when you get back. We'll be here to pick you up." He kissed her cheek, then the top of her head. "If you feel threatened by anyone, just call me and I'll be on a plane in five minutes."

She smiled at Harvey and kissed his cheek. "Hey Griffin, aren't you guys gonna say bye to Aunt Caitlin and Uncle Harvey?"

Griffin turned around and grabbed Sierra's hand. "Bye bye." He waved to Harvey and Caitlin.

"Come here, you little butthole." Caitlin grabbed him in her arms, kissed him a million times, then handed him to Harvey.

"Okay guys, I'll see you.. " Gabriella grabbed Griffin's hands and a suitcase, which Griffin dragged behind him.

Harvey and Caitlin both waved as Gabriella boarded her plane.

...

Gabriella left her suitcase and her things in the car that she had rented.

She walked up to the front door.

Her heart began to beat.

She rang the doorbell.

Her grip tightened on Griffin's hand. She tightened her arm around Sierra's little body.

All were in jackets, because of the snowfall outside. Sierra wore a pink jacket, a pink beanie, and pink mittens. Underneath was a pink and brown polka-dot dress, brown tights, and pink shoes that her Aunt Caitlin got for her. Since her hair was short, it was off to the side, and held back with a cute pink and brown polka dot butterfly clip holding her hair out of her face. Her blue eyes contrasted against the pink, and it made her look extremely cute.

Griffin's hair was the same as usual. Cut but he wore a plaid blue and brown shirt, and it was tucked into his dark brown khaki pants. His shoes were sneaker-like and matched his shirt, blue and brown plaid. Over it all, he wore his black jacket, a blue beanie and blue gloves that were shoved in his pockets.

And Gabriella, lastly, had her hair cut short, a little above shoulder length. Like Sierra, she had a clip in her hair the same way, but the clip was red. She wore a red dressy shirt, and her regular light blue skinny jeans. Over that, her jacket was a black button-up and her hair was left bare, along with her hands.

She waited impatiently at the door.

Her mind began to race, along with her heart. She looked down at Griffin, who looked up at her with a big grin on his face.

"You know where we are, don't you?"

He nodded.

"Good, keep your trap shut." She squeezed his hand a little and grinned at him.

He frowned at her.

Finally, the door creaked open. A small frame stuck out the door. "Yes?"

Gabriella stared. "Mom?"

The lady gasped and opened the door totally. "Gabriella?"

A tear dripped from Gabriella's face. She embraced her mother, crushing Sierra between them.

"Oh my gosh sweetheart, I have not seen you since last year!"

Gabriella didn't respond. She simply embraced her mother and hoped that she would be safe here.

"And there is my peanut!" Maria let Gabriella go and scooped Griffin into her arms.

"Mamaw!" Griffin hugged her tightly. He remembered her, surprisingly.

"And last, little Sierra! My goodness, she got big!" Maria hugged her also. Gracelyn whined and reached towards Gabriella, not at all remembering Maria."

Gabriella took her from her mom. "Gracie, mamaw's not gonna hurt you."

Sierra simply stared at Maria and held tight onto Gabriella.

"Your dad will be so happy you are here! And Jack and Kay are here too, for Christmas!"

Griffin ran into the house like it was his. He turned and entered the living room, where the rest of the people were watching Christmas shows and blabbing about the snowy weather.

Griffin's favorite grandparent was Kay. He absolutely loved her. And he knew exactly who she was when he saw her.

"GRAMMA KAY!" Griffin screamed.

Kay, Jack, and Vincente` turned their heads.

Kay gasped. "GRIFFIN?"

Griffin ran to her quickly and jumped into her awaiting arms. She began to cry.

"I missed you so much!" She sobbed and hugged him tightly.

Vincente` stood up and took Griffin from Kay. He hugged him tightly. "My peanut! We all missed you!"

And Vincente` handed Griffin to Jack.

They basically had passed him down the line.

"Jesus christ... " Vincente` sat down in his chair. "How did he get here, Maria?"

Gabriella walked into the room, holding Sierra tightly. "He came with me."

All three stared at Gabriella.

"Gabriella?" Her dad stood up. "Oh my lord... " He gave her a huge bear hug.

Gabriella hugged her dad tightly, crying into his shoulder. "I missed you so much, daddy."

He rubbed her back. "Where have you been for the last year, Gabriella?"

"I moved away and started my own life."

"Where?"

She didn't answer.

Kay pushed Vincente` away and jumped onto Gabriella immediatly. She hugged her tightly and kissed the side of her head. "I can't believe you're home! We we worried sick about you for the past year now! We wondered if you were killed, put in prison, got in a car crash- "

"Okay Kay, stop making her even more nervous." Jack hugged Gabriella. "Sweetheart, we missed you so much. We all love you so much."

"I love you guys too." She pulled away from Jack and wiped her teary eyes. "I didn't want to leave, but I had to... I couldn't be in the town where Troy still lived... "

"Mama... " Sierra whined a little bit and stuck against Gabriella's leg.

"Oh C... " Gabriella laughed a little. "These people aren't scary people. They are your grandparents, baby. Don't be scared."

Gabriella sat on the couch beside Kay. Everyone else took a seat, also, other than Griffin, who ran around and played with Leaf.

Sierra was stuck to Gabriella. She sat on her lap and scooted as far as she could towards Gabriella's body, staring at everyone's face.

"Sierra Grace Bolton, quit!" She whispered in Sierra's ear. Sierra buried herself further into Gabriella.

"It's okay sweetheart." Kay touched Sierra's shoulder, but Sierra shyed away.

"She's just shy." Gabriella said. "She always has been."

She stared over at Vincente`, then at Jack, and Kay, and Maria.

Gabriella looked up at Kay. "Have you heard from Troy lately?"

Jack looked back at her. "Yeah. He's staying at Emerson College, and he's going to play for the Patriots next year."

She nodded. "That's good.

"He's also going for a professional degree in law. He's about halfway there."

Gabriella grabbed one of Sierra's hands. "I'm going for a bachelor's in journalism, and I've got two jobs, one at a vet's office, and another as a column writer."

"That's awesome, Gabriella." Her dad smiled. "I always knew that good things would come from you."

"Yeah, well, two not so pleasant things have came from me already." She kissed the top of Sierra's head. "But I love my kids. I never could ask for two better kids."

In a matter of seconds, Griffin had everything off, and handed it to Gabriella.

"Awh, look at the little princess!" Kay smiled at Sierra. "Look at how pretty she is!"

Sierra cracked a little giggle out of her mouth. Gabriella kissed the top of her head.

"And look at the little christmas stud over here!" Maria grabbed Griffin's hand and pulled him towards her, pulling him onto her lap. "Did mommy go shopping for you guys?"

"Caitlin and Harley did." Griffin giggled.

"Caitlin?" Vincente` raised an eyebrow.

"I live beside Caitlin and Harvey." Gabriella set Sierra on her feet.

They all watched as Griffin went downstairs.

Then, they started to grill Gabriella with questions.

"Gabriella Anne Montez, where the hell have you been?"

She looked at her dad. "Excuse me?" She raised an eyebrow. "I'm over eighteen and I'm allowed to go where I want to go!"

"You are our only daughter, Gabriella! We want to know where you are so we know you are not dead!" Maria looked into Gabriella's eyes. "Where do you live?"

"I'm not telling you." Gabriella sighed. "I'm allowed to have my own life, by myself, with my kids."

"Then can you atleast give us a phone number?" Vincente` sounded desperate.

"No, dad." Gabriella frowned. "Give me some independence for once! In my entire life, you two have followed me around like I'm a baby, and I'm not! I'm an adult now, and I have two kids. I can afford to take care of myself and my kids, but I can't afford for Troy to find out where we live and want to sue me for custody. It's too risky."

Jack jumped in. "He won't sue for custody. He feels too horrible."

"How do you know that?" She stood up. "I can't lose my kids! I can't live a day without them! If they go stay the night at Caitlin and Harvey's, I feel lonely and I cry all night!"

"Woah woah woah... " Vincente` patted the couch. "Don't get yourself all worked up."

"We just want to know where you are, sweetheart!" Kay took one of her hands. "We love you, and we want to make sure you and the kids are safe!"

"I've been able to protect them perfectly fine by myself." Gabriella sighed. "Please, just leave it alone."

Vincente` sat back in his chair.

"Gabriella, please- " Her mother stopped herself.

"Griffin, come here!" Gabriella called and stood up, grabbing their jackets.

"No! Please, don't leave!" Kay stood up. "Please!"

Gabriella put Sierra and Griffin's beanies on, along with their gloves and their jackets. She slipped her jacket on quietly.

"NO!" Maria sobbed and got up. "Please! Don't leave!"

Gabriella looked over at her mom in tears. "I can't stay."

"Vincente`, do something!" Maria looked over at him helplessly.

He got up from his chair.

Gabriella became frightened.

She grabbed Griffin's hand, and ran out the door. She told Griffin to run to the car.

Her dad grabbed the back of her hood.

And Gabriella's worst fear came true.

"YOU LEAVE THIS GOD DAMN HOUSE, AND I SWEAR TO GOD, I'LL LOCK YOU IN YOUR ROOM RIGHT NOW!" He screamed in her face.

Gabriella stared into Vincente`'s hazel eyes, and watched every movement in him. It was pure anger and rage. She couldn't find her daddy, who cherished his sweet little girl every day of her life.

"VINCENTE`! LET HER GO!" Maria smacked the back of Vincente`'s head and tried to free Gabriella from his grip. "THERE IS NO NEED FOR THIS! SHE HAS A BABY IN HER ARMS"

Finally, his fingers unraveled.

Gabriella noticed the distant cries of Griffin.

"Gabriella, please don't leave!" Kay screamed as Gabriella ran to her car.

She went after her.

"GABRIELLA!" Kay screamed again.

Gabriella got in her car and quickly started it. She looked back at Griffin and Sierra.

"Get Sierra's seatbelt on and yours on, baby. Please... " She sobbed.

Crying hysterically, Griffin snapped Sierra into her carseat and pulled his seatbelt across him.

"Baby, it's okay. Mommy's fine." She said, wiping her eyes.

Before she knew it, Kay jumped in her car.

Before Gabriella could lock her doors...

"Gabriella, don't leave!" Kay begged, turned the car off, and grabbed the keys from her. "Please!"

Gabriella sobbed into her hands and didn't look at Kay.

She had failed her kids.

Her life...

Kay looked back at Jack, Vincente`, and Maria, who were now inside the house.

Kay looked over at Gabriella.

"Switch me seats, Gabriella. You can't drive like this."

For some reason, Gabriella obeyed.

As Kay drove the rental car, Gabriella calmed both of her kids down in the backseat.

Kay drove Gabriella to a familiar place...

Gabriella looked around.

She wiped her eyes. "I've seen this place before." She said, sniffling.

"Emerson." Kay looked over at Gabriella. "Emerson College."

Gabriella froze.

"Emerson?"

"Yeah."

"Kay, please- "

"Just once, Gabriella. Please... He needs to see his kids just once... "

"This is bull, Kay. I'm not doing this... I can't lose my kids... "

"He needs to see them, and he won't take them away, Gabriella. He doesn't have the time or the effort to take care of two kids. He's too caught up in his own work."

Gabriella shook her head. "No." She looked back at her two kids. "They won't be put through that. I won't let them be put through that... " She began to whisper to Kay. "Griffin literally just got over the fact that his dad isn't in his life anymore. I'm not breaking his heart again... "

Kay looked at her fingers. "There's something I have to tell you, Gabriella."

"What now?" Gabriella leaned back in her seat and wiped her eyes.

"We lied to you." Kay looked over at Gabriella. "We lied to you about Troy going into the league... "

Her heart stopped pounding.

"What? Kay, that was his dream- "

"He gave it up to find you and his kids. _That's _why I brought you here today. _That's _why I want you to take the kids up to his dorm. _That's _why I want you to stay here... Please Gabriella, for god's sake, please... I'll go up there with you."

Gabriella fumbled with her fingers. She went into deep thought...

Finally, she looked up. "I'm not breaking my kids' heart and my own heart again, Kay. You can forget it." Gabriella sobbed. "Drive me back to the god damn airport before I get out, take my kids, and start walking."

"You wouldn't do that." Kay looked over at her seriously.

"You don't think I would." Gabriella sniffled. "I'll do it in a hot second."

Kay sighed and turned the car on.

"He really wants to see- "

"I don't care, Kay." Gabriella looked back at her kids again. "Hey, you guys ready to go back to North Carolina and see Aunt Caitlin and Uncle Harvey?"

Kay remembered the state.

North Carolina.


	59. Two Oceans Clash

January 20th, 2012: 7:55 PM

The sun began to drop below the horizon. Counting from above the sun, the sky was red at the sun, then orange, then yellow, purple, blue, and if you look straight up, it was the darkest blue ever, covered with twinkling white stars scattered across the tops of the world.

Gabriella sat on her balcony in her bedroom. She watched the sun completely drop over the ocean. The beautiful ocean. Crystal clear and blue as blue could be. But, it turned a shady green, and then black like the sky.

The trees waved in the wind. Many of the trees released their leaves, letting them flow in the wind, letting them drop onto the balcony. She loved North Carolina. She hated Massachusetts.

Her body rose from her chair. She went downstairs from her bedroom, and entered the living room.

"Hey Griffin, go upstairs and get ready for bed. You have to go to school tommorow." She picked Sierra up, who was fast asleep on the couch.

He looked over at her from watching TV. "No!" He crossed his arms.

"You can watch the rest of it, but then you get upstairs and get ready for bed." She grabbed one of his arms. "And don't you dare tell me no, little boy." She growled.

Gabriella took Sierra upstairs and set her down on a little table. She took Sierra's dress off, changed her, put her into her pajamas, set her in her crib, pulled the blankets up on her. She kissed her forehead, and shut the light off and the door behind her.

Griffin came running up the stairs.

"Door, somebody here." He said quickly as he wizzed past her.

"Alright, you get yourself ready for bed- "

"I wanna see!" He said as he ran into the bathroom. She could hear the faint noises of his jeans unzipping and him peeing in the toilet.

"I'll come up and tell you, but you get in bed. Don't snoop around."

She walked down the stairs, and looked through the peephole in her door.

All she saw was the back of somebody's boy cut short brown hair.

She unlocked and opened the door.

"Who are you?" She said, looking at the back of the person.

The person turned around. He was was lanky, but still had a slight muscular build to him. His arms were skinny, like somebody had wrang the muscle out of them. Just skin covering a bone. The hands looked old and fragile, and she might break them if she shook them. He seemed unstable on his feet, wobbling from side to side like he was drunk. And, then, she noticed something.

The Atlantic ocean.

She tried to slam the door.

His foot landed in front of it.

"I'm not going anywhere. I've found you, and I'm not giving up."

Gabriella's eyes welled with tears.

"Troy, go away... " She sobbed.

"No, I'm here and not leaving."

"Why are you here?"

"Because I want to see you and the kids." He said softly.

Gabriella sighed.

"Well, you've seen me, and Griffin and Sierra are upstairs sleeping."

Troy stepped inside and closed the door. He moved close to her. The faint smell of his cologne lurked on him. Gabriella knew the smell like the back of her hand. She could be blindfolded and smelled several different people, and still pick out Troy. The name of the cologne was _Bastante Masculine_.

Gabriella thought she wouldn't have to deal with it ever again.

"Go get them up." He moved closer to her. She moved back.

"No, Troy! They have school tommorow!"

"Five minutes!" He begged. "Please!"

"How did you even find me?" She tried to change the subject.

"My mom told me that you guys were in North Carolina. So, I paid for a month's worth of people search and found your address. Can I see my kids?"

She rolled her eyes. "You can see Sierra, but you can't see Griffin, because Griffin will remember you, then he'll ask where his daddy is every day, and- "

"What's so bad about that? I can come and see them every day! Hell, I could take them for a couple days- "

"You're not taking my kids anywhere! They stay right here, in their home, where they feel safe!"

"Can I please just see them once?"

Gabriella sighed. "Fine." She said. "You sit on my couch. I'll go upstairs and get them up."

He happily sat on the couch.

Gabriella ran into her kids' room and dialed Caitlin's phone number.

"Damn it Caitlin, answer your fucking phone!" Gabriella whispered to herself.

Finally, Caitlin answered.

"Sissy?"

"Oh thank god!" She whispered. "Get Harvey and come over here! Please! Help me!"

"What's going on?"

"No time to explain! Just hurry as quick as you can!"

"Okay, but please explain to me- "

Gabriella quickly shut her phone off.

Griffin came into the room. He was just climbing into bed.

"Who is it?" He said in his cutesy baby tone

"Oh, just... The mailman. He wanted to give me some mail he forgot to deliver today." She smiled reassuringly at him.

"Oh." He said, pulling his blankets onto him.

Gabriella knelt beside his bed.

"Griffie, if Sierra wakes up, don't let her come into the living room. And you stay up here with her, okay?"

"Why?" He yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"I just have an old friend over. Please baby, just don't come downstairs, and ignore any yelling or anything, okay?"

He nodded.

"Okay baby, I'll see you in the morning." She kissed his forehead and tucked him in. "Remember what I said."

He nodded again.

Gabriella shut off the light and closed the door.

She heard the front door open and close.

"Oh thank god, Harvey and Cait... " She ran down the stairs and into the living room, where Troy was still waiting patiently.

But, it wasn't Harvey and Caitlin.

It was Kay, Jack, her mother, and her father.

"Holy shit... " Gabriella's eyes got wide. "No... " Gabriella shook her head and immediatly started to cry. "This can't be happening. This is all a dream... "

Maria ran to hug her daughter. "Oh my god, I missed you so much sweetheart! I wondered where you were for so long, and now I know!"

Gabriella was shocked out of her own body. She didn't hug back. She stood there, watching five people of her past stare at her.

Grief and pain took over.

She urged for that silver little friend.

That sharp, silver little friend.

Her arms begged her to give them the thing that they needed the most, the way that the pain would make her feel safe and secure. The way that she felt when she wasn't with Troy.

Anything would do but being with Troy.

"If you people think you're allowed in my house all of a sudden, there's no god damn way you can just walk in the house I own, the house that I worked for, the house that I call home... And there's no fucking way you people are going to just come here and act like everything's fine and dandy, because IT'S NOT!" She backed against a corner and pulled her phone out, calling 911.

But the phone was whipped out of her hand before she could get the last 1 on the phone.

She sobbed and shrunk to a tiny size in the corner.

She balled herself up, thinking that it would protect her.

But, she remembered her kids...

Her beautiful little boy and her beautiful little girl...

Sleeping upstairs...

She looked toward the stairs. Troy was going up them.

"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH MY KIDS!" She immediatly scrambled to her feet and went after him.

"THEY'RE MY KIDS TOO!" He screamed back at her.

"YOU DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THEM!" She grabbed the back of his shirt, and using all her strength, pulled him back and stood blocking the top of the stairway with her body. "There's no way in hell you'll get anywhere near my kids... I'll DIE before I let any of you near them... "

She saw the deteriorating condition of his body.

It made her sick to look at him.

For years, he dreamed to be an aspiring player for the Patriots. He played high school football, college football, and trained for the Patriots.

All that, to throw it away.

To throw it away for someone who didn't love him anymore.

And to throw it away for kids that he didn't care about.

And now, he was standing in front of her, lanky and awkward looking. Not much muscle. A body and skinny face...

He didn't look like Troy.

He gave all that muscle up to be with his kids and the love of his life. He gave up all his dreams and his goals for them.

_He gave up his life for them._

She felt a little sympathy in her heart

The last thing that she would feel or Troy was sympathy.

The absolute last thing.

But, she felt it.

Right in the center of her heart.

The two brunettes stared, deadlocked in eachother's gaze. Two brown eyes, two blue eyes, contrasting against eachother.

She felt the love she felt for him over a year ago.

The love that had broken her heart four times.

The love that had betrayed her.

And she didn't want to let it go.

And suddenly, it faded.

Reality came back.

He withdrew.

Slowly, his lanky body sadly trudged back down the stairs. His strong cologne scent followed him. Gabriella wanted to go after him so bad that her body began to tremble with overwhelming fear of losing him.

Suddenly, she could hear the faint sounds of the sirens...

Those sirens she has heared so many times in her life before...

Harvey and Caitlin bursted through the door. "GABRIELLA!" Caitlin screamed.

"YOU CALLED THE POLICE?" Vincente` buried his face in his hands.

"Troy took the phone away before I could call!" Gabriella looked around.

"I called!" Caitlin stepped forward. "I saw what the hell is going on, and I'm not going to stand around and let my best friend get beat up by her family!"

Troy seemed hurt by Harvey.

"Harvey, you're my best friend... Since like what, second grade? Those are my kids upstairs. You even said that you would fight for your kids... "

"Correction. I _was _your best friend before you turned into a lying and cheating ass. And as far as I'm concerned, your relationship with Gabriella made her feel even worse about herself." Harvey grabbed Gabriella's hand, pulled her towards him, and hugged her. "The only best friend I have now is this one, and I'll never let anything happen to her."

Caitlin joined the hug and glared at Troy. "You'll never hurt this girl ever again, as far as I'm concerned.

Gabriella sobbed into Harvey's chest.

How many times would this continue?

...

Gabriella folded her arms and leaned against the wall beside the stairs. Caitlin and Harvey stood protectively at her side.

The police had taken over.

Kay, Jack, Maria, and Vincente` were forced to leave the property with a no contact order immediatly put in place. Troy was charged with criminal trespassing.

And, he was about to be arrested.

As Troy took a breathalizer test, Gabriella couldn't help but feel horrible once again.

She wanted her heart back from Troy.

But, she couldn't get it back.

"Mommy?" She heard a little voice behind her.

Griffin yawned.

"Baby, I told you to stay upstairs- "

"Yelling... Scared." A couple tears rolled off his eyes.

"Oh, Griffin... " She picked him up and hugged him tightly. He wrapped his arms and legs around her tightly, sobbing into her neck.

"Daddy... " He sobbed. "Daddy... " He repeated over and over again.

She held the back of his head and looked worridly at Caitlin and Harvey.

"Do you think I should? Just to give him some closure?"

Caitlin rubbed Griffin's back. "What do you think would be best for him?"

Gabriella looked over at Troy once again. "For once in four years, I really don't know... " She stroked the back of his hair and kissed the side of his head.

Finally, Gabriella looked at Griffin.

"He needs to see Troy being arrested. Then, he'll realize that Troy is only here to cause trouble."

"I don't think that's a good idea... " Harvey crossed his arms.

"I'd rather deal with his broken heart than deal with him asking where his daddy is every waking moment of his life, and where his daddy went... "

"Mama!" She heard Sierra calling. She could hear her cries of despair.

Gabriella sighed. "Will you watch him for a couple minutes while I make sure CC is okay?"

Caitlin nodded.

Gabriella set Griffin on his feet, kissed his cheek, and ran upstairs.

Caitlin looked at Harvey. "Should we let him see it?"

"Gabriella wants him to see it."

"Alright then." She looked at the police officer, who was awaiting a response. "Go ahead and do it."

"Are you sure you don't want to remove the boy?" The officer fixed his cap and held both of Troy's hands behind his back.

Tears were running down Troy's cheek simultaneously Caitlin's cheeks.

Harvey's cheeks stayed dry. He held it in. But who wanted to see the kid they loved witness their father being arrested?

_He's only three._ Gabriella thought as she entered her kids' bedroom.

"We're sure." Caitlin tightened her hand around Griffin's small hand and petted the top of his hair.

"Alright." The officer pushed Troy against the wall.

Griffin jerked with fear. He backed against Caitlin's legs.

"You have the right to remain silent," The police officer pulled his handcuffs out of his belt buckle. "Anything you say will and can be used against you in the court system of North Carolina."

Troy held his head down in shame. As he shifted himself, Caitlin saw the damage done to his body.

His ribs sucked in his shirt.

Caitlin gasped and covered her mouth, trying to keep the tears in, but it just didn't work.

Griffin sobbed and began to cry a little harder. His entire body began to quiver with fear.

Griffin knew who it was. He knew it was his daddy.

The daddy that left him.

The daddy that didn't love him.

_His daddy._

The handcuffs clicked onto Troy's wrist. The sound of metal chains clanking together rang loudly through Griffin's ears.

He remembered the noise.

It repeated in his head.

He cried harder and gripped Caitlin's hand.

"It's alright little man." Harvey moved Griffin's hair from his face.

Little man.

_That's what his daddy used to call him._

"Daddy... " Griffin sobbed and pushed his blonde hair from his face. His blue eyes blinked a couple times, letting tears flow freely from them. The little boy, three years old, was watching his daddy be arrested.

He had never been more scared in his life.

As Troy was pulled away from the wall, his and Griffin's eyes connected. They only connected for a split second.

Two oceans clashed, contrasting, fighting against eachother's waves... The vivdness struck like lightning. It was like looking into his own eyes. The tension rose, the hair on Troy's back rose, and Griffin stopped shivering.

"Can I just say hi to him, just once?"

The officer sighed. "If he wants to say hi, you can say hi."

The officer lead him over to Griffin.

Troy knelt in front of Griffin.

"Hi Griffin. You remember me, right? I'm daddy. Daddy Troy." Troy tried to flash a little smile through the tears pouring from his eyes.

Griffin stayed quiet, with silent tears rolling down his face.

"I love you Griffin." Troy said, just above a whisper.

Griffin dug himself into Caitlin's legs and gripped her hand.

"You don't have to be scared... "

"Daddy lies... " Griffin shook his head and sobbed. "You lies. You lies. You lies... " He began to cry harder. He reached up toward Caitlin. Caitlin picked him up and hugged him tightly, shushing him.

Troy smirked a little as he stood up. "My own god damn kid loves a stranger rather than his own dad."

"The only stranger here is you, Troy." Harvey wrapped an arm around Caitlin.

"Go to hell, Harvey." Troy scoffed.

"I'll meet you there, and kick your ass while I'm at it." Harvey growled.

"We'll see who kicking who's ass. Remember, I'm the QB. You're the running back. So, start running, Harv, because this QB can pack a hard punch." Troy glanced one more time at Griffin, then was pushed away by the police officer.

Caitlin kissed the top of Griffin's head as Troy was toted out of the house.

"I hate daddy... I hate daddy... " Griffin repeated as he pulled his head from her neck.

Caitlin moved the hair from his eyes. "You've got your mommy and Sierra who love you a lot, and Harvey and me love you a lot too, baby. And the kids at your preschool love you, and your teacher loves you... A lot of people love you, Griffin. We'll all protect you from your daddy, okay?"

Griffin dropped from Caitlin and jumped into Gabriella's arms as she walked down the stairs with Sierra. She quickly handed Sierra to Caitlin and picked Griffin up.

"Baby, you can cry all you want... " She said, sitting on the couch.

The faint smell of _Bastante Masculine _still lurked where Troy had sat. "Get it all out, Griffie... " She held the back of his head, and rested her head on a pillow. He layed on top of her, crying his heart out into her chest.

"Harvey, can you go get me a Pull Up for him? He's going to get so scared and nervous he'll pee everywhere. And get his blanket and his pillow. Caitlin, could you put CC back down?"

"Sure, sissy." Caitlin said as she went upstairs with Harvey.

Gabriella sat with her head to the side, staring through a huge bay window at a sea of green trees waving in the dark wind. She could still faintly see the see waves crashing against the sandy beach. It was washing away the warmth of the day's sun.

She gently rubbed her son's back, remembering the times when everything was okay, and when she was still a kid.

When she sat in that football field with her friends, rooting for Troy.

When she was an innocent Freshman, ready to take high school to the fullest.

When she was the little girl her parents had dreams for.

But how had she turned out?

A mother to two kids at 19.

A disappointment.

Griffin small fingers curled in Gabriella's hand as she quietly comforted him. He didn't quit his level of crying.

Finally, Harvey came down the stairs. Gabriella sat up and cradled the back of Griffin's head like he was an infant. He would be treated like one tonight.

She layed him on the couch and pulled his pants off, replacing his usual boxers with a Pull Up, then sat him up and leaned him against her.

She positioned the pillow on the couch how she wanted in, the pulled the blanket over Griffin. She layed on the couch with Griffin on top of her, and began to stroke his hair.

She wanted him to let it all out.

Her voice began to soothe his cries.

_"Daddy daddy, don't leave. I'll do anything to keep you right here with me. Can't you see how much I need you? Daddy daddy, don't leave. Mommy's saying things she don't mean. She don't know what she's talking about. Somebody hear me out... Father, listen... Tell him that he's got a home and he don't have to go. Father, save him... I'll do anything in return. I'll clean my room, try hard in school. I'll be good, I promise you. Father, father... I pray to you... "_

He stopped crying for a moment to listen.

_"Please don't let him go. I'm begging you, so, let him open his eyes, be a little more time to tell him that I love him more than anything in the world."_

She stopped for a moment to sob. Her eyes began to fill with tears.

He started to cry again.

Caitlin and Harvey appeared in front of knelt on her knees with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Do you want us to stay the night so you'll feel safer?" She said, moving some hair from Gabriella's face.

She paused to think for a moment, then sobbed and nodded as tears rolled off of her face and hit the floor.

"Harvey's going to lock the door at our house."

"Go sleep in my bed. I'm staying in here with Griffin tonight."

"What about their school?"

"I'm going to keep them come tommorow." Gabriella stroked Griffin's hair. "He needs a day to process this... "

Caitlin nodded. "I love you, sissy."

"I love you too."

Caitlin kissed the back of Griffin's head and rubbed his back a few times. "I love you Griffin. I hope you feel better by morning."

No response. Just cries of a lost soul and hopelessness.

Caitlin covered Gabriella up with another blanket. "I'll see you in the morning. I'll make sure I get up and take care of Sierra for you."

"You don't have to- "

"But I will." Caitlin smiled a little at her. "You and Griffin need a little break."

Gabriella didn't hesitate a day without Sierra. That was like heaven on Earth.

"Thank you, Caitlin."

"No problem." Caitlin shut the light off. "I'll see you when you wake up."

"Okay."

The light flickered off, and minutes later, she could hear the front door creak open and shut with a lock, same as the main room, and quiet tiptoes up the stairs. "Night Gabriella."

"Night, Harv."

Gabriella stared outside once again. She watched the waves crash endlessly against the sandy shore.

"We'll make it through this Griffie." She kissed the side of his head.

_Everything would be okay._


	60. Visiting Troy In Jail

January 21st, 2012: 8:35 AM

Gabriella woke to the light seeping through the bay window.

She soon realized that she let Caitlin and Harvey stay for the night. She forgot overnight.

She stroked Griffin's back gently and sat up.

"Griffin, are you awake?" She whispered and kissed the top of his head.

No response.

She gently layed him on the pillow and covered him up with the blanket.

"Cait? Harvey?" She said, standing to her feet.

"Morning sissy." Caitlin smiled at her as she walked past with Sierra. "Harvey's making breakfast."

Gabriella sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm so god damn aggitated... " She turned and walked towards the kitchen.

Caitlin set Sierra on the floor with her toys and went to Gabriella's side. "It's gonna be rough, I know."

She stared at her keys on the table. "Where was Troy incarcerated at?"

"Southern Shores PD in town."

Gabriella sighed and put her head in her hands. "Why the hell is this happening?"

"I don't know sissy." Caitlin looked up at Harvey.

She suddenly reached out and grabbed her keys. "I'm going to go see him."

"No!" Harvey whipped around.

"I need to talk to him." She said as she exited the house quickly.

...

Gabriella pulled into the Southern Shores Police Department and locked her car as she ran to the entrance. She met up with someone at the front desk.

"I'm here to visit someone."

"We don't have visitors this time in the morning."

"But I really need to see him. It's very important."

The clerk looked back at the security guard. "Alright, name."

"Troy Bolton." She blurted out.

"Go get Troy Bolton. He's in cell 18."

"Alright." The security guard open and shut the massive door.

...

Gabriella could hear the security guard's massive footsteps as he approached the booth.

He sat Troy down, took his handcuffs off, and pushed him against the wall.

He patted him down quickly.

"Go through that door and sit at the table. I'll be watching you." He growled.

Troy did as he was told.

Gabriella sat across from him.

He didn't bother to look at her when he spoke.

"Why did you come to see me?"

Gabriella pulled her hair back into a ponytail. "Why are you being like this? Why are you causing more trouble than is needed? Damn, if you really wanted the kids that bad, wouldn't you have went to the courts first?"

Troy sighed. "I don't want to take the kids away from you. I just want to see them. God damn Gabriella, I'm their father, the only father they have. And they are the only kids I have."

"For all I know." She crossed her arms. "What about all those whores you brought home?"

"Used protection." He looked at her. "I always used protection after you got pregnant with Griffin."

She messed with her fingers. "Griffin cried for the rest of the night last night because he was so upset."

Troy nodded.

"I kept telling him to get it all out, because I know its been building up inside of him."

Troy nodded again.

"Can't you look at me when you talk?"

"I can't because I want you back."

Gabriella set her hands on the table. "Give it up, Troy. My heart isn't with you anymore. I can't keep on being cheated on a lied to all the time, and break my kids' hearts."

"I know." He sighed.

She glanced over at the guard, then back at Troy. "The reason I came is to tell you that you won't be seeing the kids. On the way here, I called to place a restraining order on you, so that you can't be within 1000 feet of the kids and I., or else you'll automatically be put in jail and sentenced 90 days in the county jail."

"Oh, thanks for the break." He scoffed and rolled his eyes at her. "All I want is to see my kids. Is that such a big problem?"

"Yeah, it is. My kids don't want you, especially Griffin, and I won't make them see you if they don't want to."

"I'm not losing my kids again." He finally met her eyes with a glare. "I've lost you guys once, and if I lose you again, I'll never get to see them again."

"You'll never get to see them again, anyways. Atleast Griffin for sure. Remember the CPS order? If you get thrown in jail, you automatically lose custody of Griffin, and you aren't allowed to gain custody back."

A tear ran down Troy's face. "I thought about that all last night, sitting on a piece of concrete."

"I don't feel one bit of remorse for your lazy ass." She growled. "I love my kids, and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure that they are protected."

"Times up, buddy." The security guard walked in.

Gabriella got up from her seat. She stared Troy directly in the eyes. "Tell everyone back home not to ever come near us again."

Troy looked away from her as the handcuffs were snapped back onto his wrist. "Tell Griffin and Sierra that their daddy loves them."

"Yeah, I'll be sure to do that." She whispered sarcastically.

...

Gabriella opened the front door, then the main room door and walked into the house. She was almost ran over by Griffin, who jumped into her arms crying uncontrollably.

"Baby, what's wrong?" She set her purse down and picked him up, holding him tightly and shushing him.

"He's been crying since he woke up, which was about ten minutes after you left." Caitlin crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.

"Awh, Griffie... " Gabriella sighed "Does something hurt?"

He shook his head and buried himself into her.

"Then what's the matter buddy?" She sat on the couch. "Was it because I left?"

He nodded.

"Griffin, just because I left doesn't mean I'm not coming back."

He still continued on.

And would not stop.

From then on, he was attached to Gabriella's side.


	61. Meeting Pryor Harbor

January 24th, 2012: 3:07 PM

The doorbell rang.

Gabriella got up from the couch and ran into the main room, the to the front door.

She quickly opened it.

"Gabriella Montez?" The man said, looking at his paperwork. He flipped a page.

"Yeah, that's me."

"I'm here for the car." He said. "A 2008 Honda CR-V, metallic blue. Having GPS problems?"

"Yes, it's not working. Just a black screen."

"Alright." He glanced up at her, but the glance became entrancing.

Gabriella stared into his eyes like it was Troy.

A young man, around her own age, fit, lean, and quiet a build to him. He had blonde hair which was combed up into a mini mowhawk, held up by a little hair gel. Basically, all he did was put some gel in his hands and run his fingers up the sides of his hair, creating a tiny spike that went from the front of his hair to the crown of his hair. He had hazel eyes, with green specks of brilliance gleaming down towards her. He had a straight-cut roman nose and soft, curved lips. His face was medium-sized, but he still had cute little cheeks like Troy.

_Just like Troy._

Gabriella smiled curiously at him. She felt like she was still a teenager in high school.

"Can I look at the car or not?" He sounded a little aggitated.

"Oh, sorry... " She said, shaking her head. "Yeah, go ahead and look at the car."

Griffin peered around the edge of the door. "That man?"

"That's the guy who's going to fix our car." She looked back inside the house. "Go in the living room and watch TV. I'll be right in."

Griffin shook his head stubbornly. "No!"

"Fine, then come outside with me, little brat." She walked outside with her arms folded.

Griffin pouted and sat on the front steps with his fists against his cheeks.

"Can I get you something to drink?" She leaned against her car.

"No thanks." He said quickly. "I've got my coffee in my truck."

"Oh, okay." She moved her hair from her face. "So, how old are you?"

"Twenty. You?"

"Nineteen." She tucked her hair behind her ear and looked out towards the ocean.

"Is this your house?" He looked over at her.

"Yeah, this is my house. I love it here."

"It's a gorgeous house. Right by the ocean. I live up in Barco. I usually never get to go to the ocean because I'm so busy."

Gabriella smiled a little. "My best friend invited me to live here, so I paid first month's rent and moved in a week after she called me."

"Must be expensive."

"Not really." She looked up at the sky. "$480 a month, including gas, water, and lot rent. I own the house."

"That's not bad." He grinned.

"I'll tell you one thing, it's a hell of a lot better than Massachusetts."

"You used to live in Massachusetts?"

"Yeah. I hated it there. I moved away from my family and my ex's family and came here. It's so quiet here."

"You were married?"

"No, ex boyfriend."

"Oh." He laughed at himself. "I moved to Barco from Tennessee. I loved Tennessee, but it was just so crowded where I lived. I wanted peace, so I moved to Barco. Damned if get peace there. It's so loud there."

She loved his slight accent. It made her giggle a little.

He began to speak again. "I'm working right now as a part time mechanic because my dad makes me. I'm going right now for a law degree."

"That's what my ex was going for." She looked over at Griffin. "A law degree."

He got out of the car and sat against the hood. "Gotta give it a few minutes to buffer." He said, zipping up his coat.

He looked over at Griffin. "You like to babysit? I've got a little sister that needs babysittin'."

She shook her head. "No, that's my son. I don't babysit."

He looked at her from head to toe. "I never would have guessed you had a baby."

"Two babies." She played with her fingers.

"Wow, I have to say... You don't look like you've ever had any kids... "

"Yeah, I've got two." She looked over at Griffin. "He's three and a half, and my daughter is almost seven months."

"Wow." He said, looking over at Griffin again. "He's beautiful, I have to say."

"Thank you." She smiled a little. "He's got his own mind, in terms of doing things by himself. He's a smart kid."

She looked over at the guy. "I never got your name."

"Pryor." He crossed his arms. "Pryor Harbor. And you're Gabriella Montez."

"Yeah." She grinned. "And that's my son, Griffin Bolton, and my daughter's name is Sierra Bolton."

"That's a pretty name. Sierra."

"Her name's Sierra Grace Bolton. Her dad named her."

"That's beautiful." He went back into Gabriella's car. "Well, it's fixed." He said as he put the car in drive and drove down the driveway and back. "It seems to be working now." He handed the keys back to her. "You think we could meet up sometime?"

"Sure, when do you want to meet?"

"Got plans for tonight?"

"Nope. I can send my kids to my friends' house."

"Good. I'll pick you up at seven."

"Sounds like a plan." She smiled sweetly at him. "I'll see you later, Pryor."

"Bye, Gabriella." He said as he got into his truck.

(NOTE TO READERS)

Okay people, this story is a TxG story. I promise you that. I am not cutting Troy out of the picture forever. For now, he will be stuck in Massachusetts, but he will come back soon enough. Just give it time.

And please, please don't get mad for letting Gabriella have a chance at a happy life. Like I said, Troy will come back. He'll just be gone for a while.

But, you still get your romance story. :)

You'll find out what's coming next. xD


	62. Swings In The Sunsets

July 28th, 2012: 8:06 AM

Gabriella sat up in her bed quickly.

Vivid nightmares surged her brain.

But, she got the courage to get up.

As she walked past her kids' room, she looked inside and noticed that they both weren't in their beds.

"Sierra? Griffin?" She tiptoed down the stairs to the smell of breakfast. "Pryor?" She said, unsurely.

She sighed in relief as she saw Pryor downstairs, leaned against the counter.

"You had me scared, Pryor." She whispered as she sat down on the stool. She set her head between her hands and shivered.

"Scared?" He said, in his Tennessee accent. "Scared for what?"

"My kids weren't in bed, I smelled bacon... "

"You thought I slaughtered one of the kids?" He laughed. "Naw, I'd rather eat raw fish than be a cannibol."

Sierra walked unsteadily out of the living room, then looked up and saw Pryor. Her favorite person.

He pulled a buge grin on his face and, being silly, squated on the ground and opened his arms. "Sierra babe!"

She jumped into his arms and laughed hysterically as he tickled her entire body, from front to back.

That was Sierra's favorite person.

Pryor.

Sierra looked over at the stove.

"Oh, I'm making bacon. Don't touch it, Sierra. That'll hurt the baby." He grabbed her hand and kissed her fingers.

She did it anyway.

Little devil.

She reached towards it, then her hand shot back, and she got on her hands and knees and crawled as fast as she could out of the kitchen.

"I'm gonna get you!" Pryor yelled, chasing her into the living room.

Griffin came from downstairs and sat on the stool beside Gabriella.

"Hey Griffie." She said, pulling him into a hug. "How old are you?"

"Three!"

"Show me on your fingers."

He proudly held up three fingers.

"Good boy." She kissed the top of his head.

She turned her head as Pryor and Sierra did a waltz into the kitchen. He had both of her hands, swirling her around and singing a song that sounded like it was from the 20's.

"There's Griffin!" He said, setting Sierra on her feet. He scooped Griffin up from his seat. "I missed you, little buddy!"

"Pryor, stop!" Griffin screeched as he laughed hysterically from Pryor tickling him.

"And why do I come last?" Gabriella stuck her bottom lip out.

"I save the best for last." Pryor set Griffin down and held his arms out. "Come to papa." He said, just above a slight whisper.

She grinned and entered his hug.

He squeezed her tightly, then kissed her lips lightly. He grinned beneath the shadow of his head.

"I missed you." He kissed the tip of her nose.

"Don't ever leave for two weeks ever again." She ran her fingers down his side. "I missed you too much."

"It was just a work leave." He chuckled. "Had to go do business in West Virginia. I didn't have a choice."

"But don't ever stay for that long again."

"Are you scared I cheated on you or something?" He said forcefully. Pryor backed off of her.

_Yes._

"No, it's just... " Gabriella sighed and looked at her kids.

"Tell me." He crossed his arms and leaned against the counter. "I've got all the time in the world."

She shook her head quickly. "Not now." Gabriella quickly gathered up both of her kids. "Come on, get something to eat." She grabbed a bowl of cereal and some milk for Sierra, and let Griffin pick what he wanted.

After they ate, they were off to their daily routines...

...

Later on that day, around six, Pryor demanded answers.

"Come on, tell me!" Pryor chased Gabriella into her bedroom.

"No Pryor! I don't want to talk about it!" She turned around, aggravatedly. "Just leave it alone!"

"Why are you so protective over me going somewhere for two weeks?"

_Because she's been cheated on four times from the same person._

"Pryor, please... " A couple tears ran down her cheeks as she sat on the bed. "I just don't wnat to talk about it. It's such a touchy subject... "

"But you know you can tell me anything, Gabi."

"Don't call me Gabi." She said sharply and glared at Pryor.

"Okay, fine, Gabriella!" He held his hands up in submission.

She looked away. "Don't call me Brie, Gabi, baby, nothing." She sobbed. "Please. I prefer Gabriella."

"Okay, sorry." He sat on the bed beside her. "Can you please tell me what's going on?"

"Pryor, quit bothering me about it." She ran her fingers through her hair. "You don't want to hear about my past, anyway."

"Of course I do." He touched her shoulder. "Every time I ask about your past, you close up."

"That's because I don't want to re-live my past." Gabriella looked at the floor.

Pryor tucked her hair behind her ear. "Tell me. I won't judge you. You know I'm always here for you." He kissed her cheek.

A tear dripped off the same cheek.

"Fine, Pryor... I'll tell you... "

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "Go ahead... "

She became extremely self concious, but pushed herself to tell him...

"It started before I was born. My mom and dad were just out of high school. In my mom's culture, it is essential to have kids young. So, she and my dad had sex, and, well, I was conceived. My dad figured it out and left before I was born. My mom raised me for six years on her own until my dad came back. I think that's where I got the inspiration about getting pregnant so young... "

"Ideas about getting pregnant? Wasn't Griffin an accident?"

Gabriella grabbed his hand. "No, Griffin was, by no means, an accident." She glanced over at him, then back at the floor. "When I was a freshman, fifteen and loving it, my friends and I swore to get pregnant."

Pryor's mouth dropped. "What girl promises to get pregnant in high school?"

"Us five in the group." She chuckled a little. "I was too naive and wild to realize what I was getting in to. Having a baby felt like having someone else who loved me, and to be connected with my boyfriend forever... but, I didn't realize that it would change my life so drastically." She looked at a picture of Griffin hanging from the wall. "I just let my boyfriend, who is Troy, have sex with me, without protection every time. I was so desperate to get pregnant... And one day, I found out I was pregnant. I was so ecstatic, and I got so excited I told Troy... "

And suddenly, the tears hit Gabriella.

"I told him, and he flipped at first, but then he was all warm and compassionate, and said that he would be here for me, but- " She cut herself off with a sob. "He cheated on me that same night. I didn't find out until I six months pregnant. His parents forced him over to my house, and he spit it out to me. I broke up with him."

Pryor kissed the top of her head. "Awh, Gabriella... " He sighed. "That was the past."

She continued her story. "Then, I got back together with him, confident that he wouldn't cheat again. I had Griffin a little over two months before my birthday, and Troy was right by my side... I thought everything was great, until Griffin turned two months old."

"What happened?" Pryor leaned in curiously.

"I woke up early, and I got ready for the day with Griffin. I was hoping Troy would take us to the doctor, since Griffin was sick. Well, Troy called me, and him and Harvey were both out partying. He cheated on me twice while he was at the party. He also had basically abandoned Griffin and I. He never helped out. So, I broke up with him again. For two years, I didn't let him see Griffin. He sighed all his rights over. Then, being stupid, I got back together with Troy and gave him all his rights back. Well, last year in October, Troy came home with a slut, and I was there with Griffin who was three and Sierra, who was just a couple months old. I stayed with his parents for two months, then I moved here. And, of course, drama followed and my entire family came over. Troy was arrested for criminal trespassing. I let Griffin watch Troy be arrested to make sure that Griffin wouldn't trust Troy anymore. Now that he was arrested, Troy can never have contact with Griffin ever again, unless the courts magically give Troy his rights back. After all that, I met you, and end of story."

"So you were cheated on four times by the same guy?"

She nodded sadly. "By my kids' father, and my first true love... " She sobbed and hid her face in her hands. "I'm sorry, Pryor. I shouldn't be talking about my ex in front of you. My boyfriend... "

"I would never cheat on you, Gabriella. I'm not that kind of guy." He wrapped both of her arms around her small frame and squeezed it tightly in his strong arms. "I love Griffin and Sierra like they're my own kids, and I love you like you've been here forever." He whispered the three words she needed into her ear. "I love you."

She closed her eyes. The words were too soft and too loving. Too hard to bear...

She sobbed loudly and pulled away from him. She turned away from Pryor and began to cry to herself, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her thin arms around them. She buried her head deeply into her knees.

"Gabriella... " Pryor pulled her towards him again. He held her gently, but firmly. She didn't want him right now.

She wanted Troy.

She broke away from him again and stood up. She bled for Troy.

Gabriella needed to see him.

She ran to her laptop in the living room and opened it quickly. Her hands shook so hard that she mispelled everything she typed wrong.

Once she finally got to the right page, she enlarged the pictures and began scrolling through them, tears bleeding from her eyes, her heart begging for his presence.

And there he was.

She found a picture of herself and Troy.

And another picture of Troy and Griffin.

And Troy and Sierra.

And Troy with Rai.

And Troy sitting on a lawn chair, sunglasses on, swimming trunks on, no shirt, while tickling Gabriella in her blue bikini.

And Gabriella sleeping on Troy's chest while Troy took the picture.

Thousands of pictures...

Of Troy...

She cried harder as she stopped on a particular picture.

Her and Troy standing in the middle of the football stadium.

Troy's hands were on Gabriella's waist, Gabriella's hands were on Troy's face. They stood with their foreheads together, staring into eachother's eyes.

Gabriella cried out in guilt.

She loved Troy.

She missed him so badly...

...

An hour later, Gabriella finally calmed down enough to get some sense into her. Both the kids were asleep.

She was still staring at the pictures of Troy.

She went through them 7 times already.

All 9,000 of them.

Pryor stepped into the room.

"Are you okay now?" He whispered.

She turned towards him.

"Yeah, I'm alright Pryor. I'm sorry... " She said, wiping the last of her tears away.

"It's alright baby." He said, walking up behind her. "I know you needed to get it out... " Pryor looked at the computer screen. "Who's that?"

She stared at the football field picture with her and Troy. "That's Troy. That's Griffin and Sierra's biological dad."

She scrolled over to another picture. Troy, Colt, and Henry, overly lazy and lying on Gabriella's bed together. "That's Troy, Colt, and the dog that died. He was my dad's English Bulldog named Henry... " Gabriella pushed back a strand of her hair. "God, do I miss Henry... "

She sniffled and looked down at her fingers. "When I was pregnant with Griffin, Troy and I grabbed Henry's legs and swung him back and forth, then let him go. He went into my backyard pool, and almost sunk to death." She laughed a little.

"He seemed like a good dog." Pryor rubbed her shoulders a little. "

Gabriella moved to the next picture.

"That's Troy's second dog, Rai. She's a Belgian Shepherd... I bet she's so beautiful now." Gabriella put her face in her hands. "Jesus christ... " She scolded herself. "I can't even look at her... "

Pryor exited out of the website and turned the computer chair holding Gabriella toward him. He squated to Gabriella's level and pulled her hair back gently, then kissed her lips gently. "You don't have to hold it back, baby." He held his arms out willingly. "You can let me in... " He picked her up as she willingly went into his arms. "You can trust me."

She sobbed loudly and buried her head into his shoulder.

_Bastante Masculine_ fled through her nose.

The muscular contour of his body felt like...

Troy...

She quickly pushed herself away from him and ran towards the glass door. Without saying another word, she exited the house and went into the backyard.

Fresh air filled her empty lungs.

She calmed down almost instantly.

The sunset was darkening over the horizon of the ocean. She slowly walked towards the swingset, then took a seat on the larger swing.

Gripping the left chain, she stared into the sunset.

A couple seagulls swooped overhead, calling out to the night stars above.

It was so beautiful...

She sobbed as a couple tears caressed down her face. She shut her eyes for a couple seconds.

A memory began to pass through her head.

_ "Do you love me or not? Because if you don't, I'll go get my stuff and leave right now! If you can't accept our mistake and act civil, I won't bother you ever again... "_

_ She tried to sprint towards his house, but he grabbed her waist and turned her around._

_"If we created a baby together, it's just as much of my fault as it is yours... You know that there's nothing I wouldn't do for you. I love you too much to let you go... I just... I just don't know how we are going to live this way for the rest of our lives... We're going to struggle just to have this baby... It's going to be so tough... "_

_ "But we have eachother. We'll make it through. I'll get a job if I have to- "_

_ "No baby, you won't ever have to work an hour of your life. Your beautiful face can't be messed up by working."_

_ "My face isn't going to get messed up by working."_

_ "I don't want you to take a chance. I won't ever make you work."_

Gabriella suddenly shot out of her vision.

She looked back at the sunset, and rested her head against the chain gently.

She really did miss Troy...

And her family...

As the breeze began to pick up speed, the swing began to swing back and forth gently.

Like rocking her so sleep.

And so, she didn't stop the rocking.

But she didn't close her eyes for one second.

It was like life would fly away if she closed her eyes.


	63. I Spread My Wings And I Learn How To Fly

July 31st, 2012: 1:34 AM

The music flowed through one ear and out the other.

She leaned her head against the edge of her seat and stared out the window at the lit highway.

It would be a while until they got home.

Atleast four hours.

She felt Pryor's fingers slowly wind around hers. He brought them to his mouth and kissed them.

"You alright, baby?"

"Just... Tired... " She sighed.

He chuckled a little. "What's going on? I know you're upset about something... Was it my parents?"

"No, your parents were great, Pryor." She looked back at Griffin and Sierra, who were fast asleep in the backseat of the car. "They were great with Griffin and Sierra. I was sure they would say something about me having kids already."

"Nah, they're not like that." He ran his thumb over her hand.

Gabriella scoffed. "Oh god, my parents are." She giggled. "If you had two kids, they'd lock me in my room and not let me have any contact with you ever again."

He stared at the road silently for a couple minutes, then spoke up. "Griffin and Sierra still sleeping?"

"Yeah." She said silently.

Silence once again...

"Are you sure you're okay?" He glanced over at her, then back at the road.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She yawned.

"If you want to go to sleep, you can. I won't bother you any more."

"I don't really feel like going to sleep." She leaned her seat back a little and put her hands over her eyes. "I just have a headache.

"Do you want me to turn the radio off?" He said, reaching towards it.

"No. Just leave it on. Sierra will wake up if you don't." She pulled his hand away.

"Alright, sorry." He shook his head. "Are you thinking about Troy- "

"Pryor!" Her voice sharpened. "I'm not thinking about Troy, for god's sake!" She growled.

"Okay, god damn!" He put both of his hands on the steering wheel. "Just asking!"

"I'm not thinking about Troy! Why is it that all the time, you think I'm thinking about Troy?" She became defensive and looked over at him.

"Because, you always talk about him and you have two kids with him!"

"Well, that doesn't mean I think about Troy 24/7." She rolled her eyes and stared out the window.

The car became silent.

"Are you sure you're ready to be in another serious relationship?" Pryor didn't bother to look at her.

She fell silent.

"Gabriella?"

"I don't know, Pryor. I guess it's trial and error with me, because I've been screwed over by my kids' father four times." She pushed her hair back. "I'm sorry if I seem like everything is all fucked up with me. It's just Troy left a huge hole in my heart, and I can't find any way to fill it."

"Can I fill it?" Pryor took her hand again.

"I need time, Pryor. It's not like I'm going to marry you tommorow. I need time to get my priorities back together, and to find a way to just let Troy go- " She stopped herself. "I won't be able to let Troy go. I look at Sierra, and all I see is Troy. She _is _Troy. She is his twin. She looks exactly like him, has the same personality, and the same interest. She's fiesty, big hearted, and loves sports, like Troy. So, how can I forget Troy when I have Sierra?" She questioned herself and rested her head against the seat. "And Griffin had Troy's big heart... "

"I'd say he has your big heart, Gabriella."

"You really think so?"

"Of course I do." He smiled over at her. "I know you've had a rough time with Troy. I'm willing to wait a while for you to start giving out more love, baby." He kissed her hand again.

A couple tears came to her eyes. "Pryor, you're such a good guy... How could someone so strong and forgiving as you pick up this mess of a girl, who has two kids and a broken heart from their dad?"

"Because I really care about you, Gabriella. I love you. I'll help you pick up the pieces. You just have to let me." He glanced over at her again.

She squeezed his hand a little and gave him a small smile. "I love you too. Just give me some time to cope with the situation, okay?"

"I will." He said confidently.

Gabriella let go of his hand slowly.

She shut her eyes for a second, and then suddenly jolted.

The song on the radio...

"Oh my god... " She whispered to herself and covered her mouth.

And, she began to remember that one memory...

Where her and Troy were in the car, driving home from school...

And the radio came on to her favorite song...

She began to sing quietly to herself, thinking about her raucous singing and how Troy laughed the entire time she sang...

_"Grew up in a small town, and when the rain would fall down, I'd just stare out my window... Dream of what could be, and If I'd end up happy, I would pray. Trying hard to reach out, but when I tried to speak out, felt like no one could hear me. Wanted to belong here, but something felt so wrong here. So, I prayed... I could breakaway... "_

Pryor looked over at her and smiled a little.

_"I spread my wings and I learn how to fly. I'll do what it takes 'till I touch the sky and I make a wish, take a chance, make a change, and breakaway. Out of the darkness and into the sun, but I won't forget all the ones that I love and I take a risk, take a chance, make a change, and breakaway... "_

She remembered how at this part, Troy grabbed her hand and kissed it.

Just like Pryor just did.

_"Wanna feel the warm breeze, sleep under a palm tree, feel the rush of the ocean. Get onboard a fast train, travel on a jet plane, far away. And breakaway... I spread my wings and I learn how to fly. I'll do what it take 'till I touch the sky and I make a wish, take a chance, make a change, and breakaway. Out of the darkness and into the sun, but I won't forget all the ones that I love and I take a risk, take a chance, make a change, and breakaway... "_

Pryor laughed a little at Gabriella's singing. She smiled over at him.

_"Buildings with a hundred floors, swinging 'round revolving doors, maybe I don't know where they'll take me but gotta keep moving on, moving on, fly away, breakaway. I spread my wings and I learn how to fly. Though it's not easy to tell you goodbye I gotta take a risk, take a chance, make a change, and breakaway... Out of the darkness and into the sun, but I won't forget the place I come from. I gotta take a risk, take a chance, make a change, and breakaway... Breakaway... Breakaway... "_

She ended the song, and her heart started to bleed.

She remembered the look in Troy's eyes after she was done singing...

She remembered how he commented on her 'fabulous' singing skills.

She remembered how he kissed her nose and told her that he loved her...

She remembered everything...

And thus, her memories hung sadly in her head all the way home.


	64. The Pain From Troy

August 2nd, 2011: 12:03 AM

Her veins screamed for the pain...

She wanted that pain so, so badly...

Her body began to tremble as she sat alone on the couch with all the lights off. The only noise heard was her short breaths.

Gabriella shut her eyes tightly, tightened her chest, and fought the tears off that tried to exert themselves from her dry eyes. Her fingers and toes curled up tightly as she pulled her knees to her chest. She rested her arms around them, then tightened her arms and squeezed her knees to her chest. She let out a small moan of dissatisfaction. Her head hit her knees, and she finally let a couple tears go. She stopped the tears quickly. It was like a craving for chocolate. It was so vivid, something that she had never felt before.

Not even the night that Troy had raided the house had she craved that feeling so badly.

She also craved another thing, something that she knew she wouldn't get.

Sex.

She exhaled hard at the thought of the word. She needed those feelings so badly. She wanted to be surrounded by the love that she deserved, the love that she had from Troy, and the love that had worked so hard for... But that love wasn't there anymore. Troy wasn't there anymore... All she wanted was love... Love by someone who kissed her every day. Love by someone who accepted her kids as their own. Love by someone who wanted her to be with them forever. Love by someone with Atlantic eyes and straight, brown hair.

Troy.

But he had ran off with her love. He ran off with the rest of her love, and the rest of her heart. How could she give that love out again?

_How could she give that love out to Pryor?_

Gabriella loved Pryor. She really did. She wanted him to be Griffin and Sierra's real dad, and the man that she originally had sex with in the first place. She wanted to marry Pryor when she got older, and have more babies with Pryor. She wanted to grow old and die with Pryor. She wanted his love.

_But she wanted Troy's love too._

_ How could she possibly choose between the two men that she loved more than anything in the world, other than her own kids?_

Gabriella's muscles tensed as she began to shiver from the intense cravings that began to come once again.

Her vision became clear, and her hearing became sharp.

She knew her adrenaline was starting to kick in.

She tried to ignore it...

She bolted upstairs and into her master bathroom.

Gabriella ripped open the side panel of her bathtub and pulled out her box of the things she needed so desperately.

Her hands trembled as she pulled out that silver, sharp, metal blade.

She tested the edge of the blade, tapping it with the tip of her finger.

Brand new blade.

_Just how she liked it._

She scooted against the wall beside her sink and set the blade on the floor for a second. She pulled her sleeves up and looked at her scarred arm.

Dark, brown scars covered her arms.

Like the lashes of a whip.

"No." She scolded herself. "Not my arms... " She shook her head.

She pulled up her jeans and stared at her legs. "No, Gabriella... You can't scar up your legs... Pryor loves your legs... "

She rested her head against the wall of her bathroom. She became stressed about where to begin slashing up her body.

_Stressed about the one thing that wasn't worth stressing over._

Gabriella finally decided on her arm.

Shakily, she brought her arm to her hand, and picked up the shining blade. She looked at her scarred arm once again, and picked a spot where there was another scar.

She didn't looked as she pressed the blade into her skin. Slowly and carefully, she pressed harder and harder, until finally she felt part of her skin around the blade spring back up, and a deep, satisfying pain that fled her veins. She groaned in pain and let her arms relax for a couple minutes.

Gabriella quickly dug deeper, screaming out in the pleasuring feeling of pain. Her body quivered for a few seconds, then she held the feeling back. She moved to another scar, and dug deep into that one.

Once she was satisfied with the feeling of fresh pain flowing through her body, she set the bloody blade down and stared at mess on her jeans and shirt.

"God damn it." She said, standing up quickly. "Fucking stupid ass blood."

She heard the front door slam.

"Holy shit, is it really 12... " She whispered to herself, suddenly remembering that Pryor got back from work at around 12:15.

Without thinking, she took her jeans and shirt off, then mopped them blood up with them. She discarded them in the laundry basket.

Running into her room, she frantically searched her drawer for a long sleeved shirt and some shorts.

But, it was too late.

As she was pulling on a pair of short, Pryor walked into the room. He quickly backed out and shut the door.

"I am so, so, so sorry... " He said through the door.

But, he quickly whipped the door open again.

He spotted something that Gabriella wished he never would have spotted.

"What the hell... " He pointed to her bloody arm.

She shook her head. "I... I got my arm... It... I... " She stuttered.

"Are you cutting yourself?" He said, walking up to her quickly. With lightning speed, he grabbed her arm and held it up to his eyes to examine it.

_Caught._

"I'm sorry Pryor... " She sobbed. "If you don't want to be with me anymore, then that's fine. I totally understand... " Gabriella pulled her arm away from his face and went to her drawer to look for something to wear again. "I'm not stable, at all. I hate to put my kids through this... But it just helps with the pain left over from Troy... "

"I'm not going anywhere." He grabbed her waist and pulled her close to him. "I told you I love you and I will do anything to help you."

She stared into his eyes. "But you deserve more than me. I'm a wreck. I'm broken-hearted with two kids... "

"And I told you that I would take care of you guys." He tucked a strand of hair behind her ears. "And I chose you, whether I deserve you or not."

She looked away.

_She wanted that blade..._

Her body began to quiver with fear.

"Pryor... " She hated to ask him for favors. "Will you give me a couple minutes to get myself together?"

"Sure baby." He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Clean off your arm."

Pryor's lips barely brushed Gabriella's. She jerked away a little, remembering sharp thoughts about Troy.

"Are you okay?" He whispered to her.

"Yeah." She mumbled and slowly nodded her head, as she stared away from him.

"Get yourself together." He said as he pulled away from her and shut the door behind him.

She sat on the bed.

Looking at the large portrait of Griffin. Then, she stared at her minature Troy, grinning off to the side in a large portrait beside that.

Both were sepia and with a touch of black and white...

And beautiful...

She looked back at her arm.

"One cut for every god damn thing that's went wrong in my life... " She grinned to herself a little. "Promising to get pregnant, getting pregnant with Griffin, getting cheated on by Troy while I was pregnant, getting cheated on twice, breaking up with Troy, getting back together with him, getting pregnant with Sierra, getting cheated on again, leaving Troy again, breaking ties with my family, visiting Troy in jail, and cutting myself... " She counted the cuts on her right arm. "Exactly twelve cuts... "

Looking back up at the portraits, she noticed that there was one thing missing.

Her family portrait of herself, Troy, Sierra and Griffin.

Gabriella slowly stood from the bed, reached behind her dresser, and pulled out the medium-sized family portrait. She hung it on the hook between the two large-scaled pictures.

"Now, everything's right." She smiled a little bit.

And then, as she wrapped her arm, she stared at Troy in the picture.

It just didn't seem right to keep her kids away from him...

_But, what was right about the situation anyway?_


	65. Colt The Wonder Dog

August 4th, 2012: 11:09 AM

Gabriella walked in the door from work and hung her jacket on the hook. She opened the door to the main room, then entered the living room.

She almost cried from the sight she saw.

Pryor, soundly asleep on the couch. Sierra was wedged between his arm and the blanket, just beginning to fall asleep.

"That's not her real daddy... " Gabriella sobbed. "That should be her real daddy... "

Her real daddy was in Massachusetts, doing god know's what.

_Probably paying whores to have sex with him._

_ Such a great father._

Gabriella set her purse on the table. She gently shook Pryor awake. "Baby?" She kissed his cheek softly and stroked his hair. "Pryor, wake up... "

He snapped awake, and shut his eyes tightly again. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I just thought you might want to sleep in my bed... " She smiled at him.

"Ah, sleep in your bed... " He sat up, then realized that Sierra was in his arms. She whined a little, and then pouted.

"Awh, Sierra, I'm sorry... " Pryor pulled her out from under his arm and cradled her short body in his strong arms. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, then snuggled into his chest.

"Let me take her upstairs with me. She's tired." Pryor stood up and yawned.

"Just be careful so she doesn't roll off the bed." Gabriella kissed Sierra's head, then pecked Pryor's lips.

She plopped on the couch.

A second later, Griffin ran into the living room, followed by Colt.

"What's wrong, Griffin?" Gabriella said, pulling Griffin onto her lap.

"Coltie was chasing me." He said, giggling.

"Oh." Gabriella patted Colt's head and kissed his nose. "Colt, you're a good boy... "

Colt simply stared up at Gabriella, with his puppy dog eyes. He let his toungue hang out, and a string of slobber followed.

He would soon be their savior...

...

Gabriella shut the lights off downstairs, and slowly walked up to her bedroom.

"Colt, come on buddy." She said said, watching her almost seven year old best friend struggle up the stairs. "Baby, we gotta get you to the vet to get your legs better." She cooed to him.

As she shut her door, she watched Colt use him doggy stairs to get on the bed. He plopped down on his pillow beside Gabriella on the right side of the bed.

"You silly boy." She climbed into bed and covered him up, then covered herself up with her own blanket. "Nighty night Coltie."

He whine low, and then sneezed.

...

Griffin awoke to the sharp sound of clattering pans downstairs.

His eyes shot open and he sat up quickly.

Footsteps climbed the stairs.

"Mommy?" He whispered through the darkness.

No answer.

He could see a dark silhouette pass his doorway.

It didn't look like his mommy. It looked like a tall and sharp-looking man.

He pulled Sierra out of her bed quickly and pushed her against the wall on his bed, guarding her with his life. "Shh, Sierra!" He whispered.

The figure stopped in front of his doorway, looking around.

Tears began to run down his face.

"Don't move." He whispered again.

Finally, the figure move on.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

But then, he could hear Gabriella's bedroom door creak open.

And that's when Gabriella shot up.

Her eyes focused in on a silhouetted man standing at the edge of her bed.

"Pryor?" She squinted into the darkness.

No answer.

"Harvey?"

No answer.

_Troy?_

She could hear Colt's low growls.

"Colt, shush." She said, reaching towards her lamp.

And before she could even get the light on, Colt sprang into action.

As the light flickered on, she saw a muddle of screaming and black, white, and tan wrestling a lanky man. She screamed with horror. The man had a sharp-featured face and was wearing all black. He was as white as a sheet of paper, and was as tall as a street lamp. But, Colt didn't see this as a challenge. Colt tore the guy's clothes to shreds and started to shred his skin, which made the man scream more.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" She got up from her bed.

"GET THIS GOD DAMN DOG OFF OF ME!" He screeched.

Griffin and Sierra ran to the doorway of the bedroom.

"GO TO YOUR ROOM!" Gabriella pointed. "GO!"

Scared, both of them retreated back to their bedroom.

Finally, Colt stopped fighting and grabbed the man's arm.

The man released a knife.

Gabriella quickly picked it up.

"Who the hell are you, and why are you in my house... " She said, panting.

Colt growled ferociously and clamped harder on the man's arm.

Gabriella grabbed the phone and dialed 911.

As she heard her kids letting the police in, she set the knife on the bed and relaxed a little, calling Colt to her side. The police entered her bedroom and grabbed the man.

One of the policemen pulled out a sheet of paper and unfolded it.

"This is him. He's been wanted for eight years now for murder charges against three women."

Gabriella's eyes got wide, and she screamed with horror, falling to her bed.

"Holy shit... " She repeated over and over again.

Colt nuzzled his nose under her hand and whined a little.

She looked over at him and stroked him, with tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Good boy... " She sobbed and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her head into his soft fur.

He rested his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes gently.

"You are such a good boy... " Gabriella stroked his fur.

Once the police were gone, Griffin and Sierra cautiously poked their heads in her room.

She had already called Pryor to come spend the night, so she decided that she was going to keep her kids in her room that night.

"It's alright now." She said, wiping her eyes off.

Griffin tiptoed in her room, looking around.

"He's gone."

Griffin bolted onto Gabriellas bed between her and Griffin and snuggled up to Gabriella, looking around as his body shivered.

"He's not here anymore. He can't hurt you. Coltie got him." Gabriella stroked Colt's fur. "Thank Colt."

Sierra stood blankly in the doorway.

"And you, little miss... " Gabriella opened her arms. "You get your butt in here." She smiled a little, trying to lighten up the mood.

Gabriella could tell Sierra had been crying, because she could hear faint sobs and she could see dark red tear streaks on her face and under her eyes.

Unsurely, Sierra walked into Gabriella's room.

"Right here... " Gabriella picked Sierra up and squeezed her tightly. "Is where you'll be sleeping tonight... "

Sierra sobbed into Gabriella's shoulder.

"Awh, don't worry baby. Nobody can hurt you anymore... " She kissed the side of Sierra's head.

_Not with Colt here._


	66. The Greatest Dog In The World

August 5th, 2012: 11:08 PM

Pryor took two days off work to be at Gabriella's house.

Gabriella had just finished putting Sierra and Griffin to sleep, and went downstairs to get Colt.

She crossed her arms and leaned up against the counter, staring at Pryor.

"You alright, baby?" He said, turning around from his laptop.

"I'm fine." She pulled her hair back and let it drop down her back. "I just came down for Colt, and to ask you if you wanted any more blankets or pillows."

"Nah, I'm good. I'll probably be up all night anyway." He shut his laptop and stood up, stretching his arms out.

She sighed heavily and looked around. "Where's Colt? Is he outside?"

"Yeah, he probably wants in by now." Pryor walked towards the sliding glass door, opened it, and called Colt's name into the backyard.

Slowly, Colt made his way towards the door and stepped up into the house.

"Awh, poor baby... " Gabriella patted the side of her thigh, walking slowly to the stairs. "Come on Coltie, you can make it."

He grunted and looked up at her helplessly.

"He's exhausted, Gabriella... " Pryor touched his head, and Colt, frightened, backed away a little.

"He can make it." Gabriella coaxed Colt.

Colt finally started towards the steps. One step at a time, he climbed slowly.

"I love you baby." Pryor pecked Gabriella's lips and gave her a reassuring smile. "Goodnight."

Gabriella turned back to Colt. "I love you too. I'll see you in the morning."

As she helped Colt onto the bed, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye by the door.

She turned quickly.

"Oh, what are you doing up, Griffin?" She sighed in relief.

"I wanted to say night to Colt." He said in his baby voice.

Gabriella melted. "Alright baby. Come say goodnight to Coltie."

Griffin slowly stepped across the room to Colt's side of the bed. He touched the top of Colt's head gently, and then kissed the end of his nose.

"What makes you all of a sudden want to say goodnight to Colt?" Gabriella sat on her bed.

Griffin shrugged. "Night Coltie. I love you." He said, running his finger's through Colt's long fur. His blue eyes examined every part of his fur, taking in strides of how beautiful Colt actually was. It was like they were connected somehow.

Like separated at birth...

Griffin's eyes began to water. He looked helplessly up at Gabriella.

"Mommy, is Coltie okay?"

She set her hand on Colt's chest, feeling his heavy breathing. "Yeah baby, he's alright. Just a little winded from climbing the stairs... "

Griffin sobbed.

"Baby, he's fine... " Gabriella pulled Griffin onto the bed and into a big hug.

"I don't want Colt to go... " He cried into Gabriella's shoulder.

"He's not going anywhere, Griffie." Gabriella kissed the side of his head. "Colt's right here. He's going to hang around for a couple more years, Griffin. You can't get rid of big, strong Colt."

Griffin shook his head. "He's gonna leave... "

"No, he's not." Gabriella became a little firm. "Stop talking about him leaving, because he's staying right here."

Griffin dropped from Gabriella's arms and stared over at Colt. One more time, he kissed Colt, a couple tears falling onto Griffin's white chest. He stroked his soft, black fur, and stared into Griffin's four eyes, the tan points above and his tan, glossy eyes.

"I love you Coltie." Griffin whispered to Colt.

Without another word, Griffin exited the room. She could hear his sobs from down the hallway.

Gabriella sighed and rested her head on her pillow. "Colt... " Gabriella looked over at his limp body. "You're getting old, aren't you boy?"

Colt grunted a little, opening his eyes. He rolled towards her.

She played with his soft, curly fur. A couple locks fell between her fingers, and she squeezed them gently. She could feel his slight shiver beneath her fingers.

"Are you cold, baby?" She pulled the blankets over his body.

Colt snuggled towards Gabriella and buried his head into the pillow with a small grunt. He sighed deeply.

"I know Coltie, you're worn out to the bone... " She stroked his head. "Your adult years have ended, and now you're an old man, aren't you... " She kissed his head.

He opened his eyes and gently closed them again. He whimpered a little.

"You've been through some hell, haven't you? Yeah, you've been through me and Troy's relationship, you've dealt with Griffin and Sierra, you've went through Henry's death, you were taken away from Leafy, I could go on forever... And all that hell to end up here with me, lying on this rocky bed and wondering where life's going to take you next." A couple of tears came to her eyes. "I love you Colt. You've been the best dog I've ever had... And I can't thank you enough for always being here for me... "

He whimpered again and moved even closer to Gabriella. He licked her tears away, and shot her his puppy dog eyes.

"You've been my best friend and savior, big guy. I could never, ever thank you enough." She sobbed a little and stroked his head even more. She shook her head. "You're the best dog I could have ever chosen. You really are... I love you, Colt."

All the thoughts fled Gabriella's mind. The only thing that she thought about was Colt.

How she got him when he was a little puppy, tiny and a fuzzy little ball. How she ran outside and played with him. How she swam in her pool with him. How he slept with her every night. How he loved Griffin and Sierra. How he was the greatest dog.

She wrapped her arms around his big body, kissed his little nose, and closed her eyes as he closed his eyes. He licked her nose one more time, as if saying goodbye.

Colt's last breath of the air he cherished left his body.

And thus, the night fell silently...


	67. Fifth Broken Heart

September 5th, 2012: 9:04 AM

It had been a month since Colt died.

Still a wreck and devastated, Gabriella still managed to get through it with her kids and Pryor.

Walking past his grave-site made her burst into tears.

But, Gabriella still pulled through.

She and Pryor walked into the airport parking lot after getting off their plane.

"Are you ready for this?" He said in his Tennessee accent, which stood out against the Boston accent of the people around.

"Yeah, I guess. What other choice do I have?" She said aggravatedly.

"You _do _have a choice, Gabi. We can turn around right now and go home."

"Well, we're here, and there's no reason to waste that much money on plane tickets for nothing."

She entwined his fingers with his and sighed heavily. She felt extremely nervous.

"You alright, baby?"

"Nervous as hell." Gabriella shook her head and rested it against his shoulder as they sat on a bench.

He laughed a little. "Yeah, well, so am I. I don't want to meet this asshole that cheated on you four times, let alone let him take Griffin and Sierra for 11 days of the month."

"But they need him." Gabriella sighed.

Not as much as they need their mom." He said, kissing the top of her head.

...

Five minutes later, Gabriella watched as the familiar black truck pulled into the airport parking lot.

"Let's just get this over with." She said, standing up.

Gabriella slowly walked towards him as Pryor did the same, following in her footsteps.

As they approached one another, they stared at eachother.

And then suddenly, Gabriella pulled him into a large hug. He didn't hesitate, and hugged back.

"Troy, I guess I really did miss you." Gabriella chuckled a little.

"Oh god Gabriella, you don't know how long it seems like I've been away from you." He pulled away from her. "Jesus, it seems like decades... "

Gabriella looked over at Pryor. "Troy, I want you to meet my boyfriend, Pryor. Pryor, this is Griffin and Sierra's father."

Pryor ran his fingers through his blonde hair before approaching Troy as Gabriella backed up.

Pryor held his hand out. "So, you're who Sierra looks so much like... "

"I guess. I never thought she looked like me." Troy took it and shook it.

"Oh god man, she looks just like you." Pryor smiled at Gabriella and dropped Troy's hand. "I guess you were right."

"I told you! If they were the same age, they'd be twins!" Gabriella smiled a little.

"So this is the guy who's around Griffin and Sierra?" Troy looked over at Gabriella.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Well duh, Troy."

Troy faced him eye-to-eye. "He seems like a good man." He dropped Pryor's hand. "Does he take care of you?"

"Alright Troy, this isn't 20 questions." Gabriella grabbed Pryor's hand and pulled him toward Troy's truck. "I'm here only because of the custody agreement."

"So, how is this supposed to work out?" Troy said, following them.

As she approached the truck, Gabriella pulled some papers from her purse. "You're lucky I'm giving you joint custody." Gabriella sighed and set the papers on the truck's front hood in front of him, handing him a pen. "Alright, let me tell you about some of the guidelines here. First off, this will take effect when you sign, in which you'll go back to North Carolina to get them in three days. So, it shouldn't take long. Since the courts only sentenced you to two weeks in prison, CPS has allowed you to have custody of them with my permission. I really don't want to keep them away from you, so I'm going to let you have this opportunity to make things better with your kids."

"Alright." Troy said, flipping through the pages of the packet.

"You'll have Griffin and Sierra for 11 days of the month, and I get them for the rest of the month. While you have them, you won't be allowed to go out all night or party. You can do that while they're with me, got it?"

"Yeah." He said, looking up at her. "So, where do I sign?"

She grabbed the packet back from him. "If you sign this, this is agreeing to the fact that you are their biological father and that you are accepting the consequences of losing them again if you are put back into jail or you violate any laws concerning CPS." She handed the packet back to him, then pointed to two spots on the last page. "Initials of first, middle, and last name here, and signature first and last name here."

He clicked the pen and drew in a deep breath before signing 'TAB' on the first line, then signed 'Troy Bolton' in cursive on the line below. He clicked the pen again and handed it back to Gabriella.

"Now, you send that into CPS MA today at the post office, and then in three days, you'll get your approval slip. Also, book a flight today for the 8th so you can come pick them up."

He set the papers in his truck, then shut the door and stood outside his car. "I can't thank you enough, Gabriella... For giving me a chance with my kids."

"Listen, Bolton. My kids aren't fake dolls, okay? You can't play with their hearts. They've only been crushed once, and Sierra was too young to remember it. I've been crushed four times. You and I are done, for good. I'm not putting myself through that hell, and I'm not about to put my kids through it either, so this is your one last chance. Screw it up, and I'll take them again, this time, for good. I know I've said that tons of times, but like I said, I'm not putting them through hell again. Got it?"

"I've changed my ways. I'm not the same person. Yeah, I still go out and party once in a while, but I don't go and get drunk every night. I'm still going for my law degree, and I've got four years left and I'll get it. So, don't underestimate me." He said confidently.

Gabriella shook her head and chuckled sarcastically. "There's no way you're winning me back. I've got the love of my life right here, and that's how it's going to stay. So, stop throwing on the same lecture I got every time you cheated on me, because its not working, Troy." Gabriella entwined her fingers with Pryor. "And my kids are happy with Pryor. They love him like he was always their dad."

"Well, that's going to change." Troy said solidly and played with his keys. "I'm going to be their dad."

Gabriella sighed. "Like I said, Troy, don't try to win me back."

"I'm not trying to win you back." He laughed sarcastically. "Who wants a slut like you?"

"Who you calling slut, ass?" Pryor stepped up to Troy.

"Pryor, I can handle this." Gabriella spoke slowly to him. She knew that he was going to boil over on Troy if he said anything else.

"No! You aren't a slut, and never will be!"

"What girl wants to get pregnant at fifteen? That's so ridiculous! Griffin would have never happened if you weren't so desperate to get pregnant!"

Gabriella pushed Pryor out of the way and stepped close to Troy. "Griffin would have happened even if I didn't want to get pregnant! You were begging me to have sex with you so badly that I wouldn't have been able to resist eventually! All you kept talking about was losing your virginity with someone you loved, and that person was me, so how did you expect me to resist?"

Troy chuckled and stared directly into her eyes with a wide grin. "You know, you weren't the person I lost virginity to. That's something every guy says to get a girl into bed."

And suddenly, every thought on Gabriella's mind seemed to float away with the wind.

Other than the time she lost her virginity.

To Troy.

She stepped back a little bit and shook her head slowly, looking at the ground. "No, you said that you wanted to lose your virginity to someone you truely loved, and that was me... "

"I lied, Gabriella. God damn, get over it already." He said, opening his truck door.

"But it was so special... " Gabriella looked up at Troy with tears in her eyes. One tear escaped her eye and fell gently down her soft cheek. She sobbed, her brown eyes turning a lighter color. She ran her fingers through her hair. "So, I lost my virginity to you for nothing... There was no love there at all the entire time... "

"Wrong. There was a purpose. You wanted to get pregnant. I wanted sex. We both got what we wanted."

"And you didn't love me... "

Her heart began to break. She felt like she had just been cheated on again.

Only a thousand times worse.

She knew that Troy was out for sex, but why would he tell her that he wanted to lose his virginity to her?

"I never said I didn't love you, Gabriella. You aren't my favorite person in the world right now, but I love you because your the mother of my kids. There's always going to be love there. I loved you for years. I still love you."

Gabriella became enraged. "YOU ASSHOLE!"

"I'm sorry!"

She slammed the truck door and stood inches away from his face. "There's two things you don't mess with. Gabriella Montez, and her virginity." Gabriella looked into his Atlantic Blue eyes, then slapped him as hard as she could slap him. He heaved heavily and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

The side of his face began to turn red.

_Good._

She turned around, and walked directly past Pryor and Troy.

"Troy, it's time to leave her the fuck alone. Stay the hell away from her."

"I'm coming to pick my kids up on the 8th, so I'll see her then."

"I'll deal with you on the 8th." Pryor growled. "You leave my girlfriend alone, you ass."

"I don't want any piece of her ass, Pryor. You can have that all for yourself." Troy laughed, stepping into his truck. "I'll be sure to get my kids in three days."

"You do that, asshole." Pryor said, walking away from the truck.

Pryor flipped Troy off as he left the airport.

He noticed Gabriella sitting on the same bench they waited for Troy on.

"Gabriella... " Pryor said, approaching her. "Don't worry about that dick. He's an asshole, and he'll never be good enough for you."

"I don't want to talk about it. I wanna go home and see my kids, right now." She said, standing to her feet and bolting towards the airport.

Pryor sighed heavily, and went after her.

Things weren't the same after that.


	68. The One She Truely Loves

October 1st, 2012: 7:18 PM

Weeks went by.

Gabriella was miserable. On top of losing Colt, she found out that her first time with Troy was a fake, and she also had to give her kids up for over a week to him. Harvey and Caitlin were out of town, and Harvey had to go work in Tennessee for a week.

She felt completely lonely.

Gabriella picked up the end of her flowing, white dress and walked along the crystallized sand. The white rose behind her ear contrasted against the darkness of her hair. Her body wavered with the artificial wind that the ocean produced, and her feet walked the pattern of the receeding waters. She yelped a couch times, feeling the freezing cold water trickle through her toes and along the tops of her feet.

As Gabriella walked along, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Her body shivered a little, and she folded her arms over one another. When she stopped, her chocolate eyes followed the blue water as its waves crashed against the shore.

It reminded her of Troy...

How his life's waves crashed against her life's shore...

She picked a stick up from the sand, and threw it into the water, watching it pierce the water like a harpoon, and then floating back to the top. In a matter of seconds, it slowly began to sink down into the water.

And drops of water fell from Gabriella's face.

She let them fall.

How rough and rocky had her and Troy's relationship been?

There hasn't been a more strained relationship than Gabriella and Troy's.

But still, she still fell for him.

And she missed him.

_She missed him dearly._

She wanted so badly just to run into his arms and for everything to be okay. She wanted to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him any time she wanted to kiss him. She wanted to wake up at 12 PM and have him staring at her. She wanted to watch him at the park with their kids, pushing them on thw swingsets. She wanted to watch him read their kids bedtime stories. She wanted so badly to feel Troy's love in her own body.

_To make love with Troy..._

Gabriella sobbed a little, but stopped herself from a world of heartbreak on her 20th birthday.

"I miss him so god damn much... " She whispered to herself. "But why do I still miss him? I have a wonderful, hot, and sexy boyfriend. He treats me better than Troy ever treated me... It's been damn near eleven months now since you broke up with him, Gabriella, why haven't you gotten over him yet?"

She looked back out into the ocean, watching the seagull silhouettes fly across the large, setting sun.

"Maybe because you two are meant to be together."

She froze.

_Pryor._

"I'm so sorry Pryor. You should have never heard that... " She said, without bothering to turn around.

"My name isn't Pryor. I missed you." The voice said, just above a slight whisper.

Her eyes shot open.

_Troy._

"What the hell are you doing here?" She said, whipping herself around. "You're supposed to be in Massachusetts, with Griffin and Sierra- "

"I flew down here, just to get a glimpse of where you live at." He said. "Where's that ass of a boyfriend you have?"

"He's better than you'll ever be." A tear dripped from her cheek. "He doesn't cheat on me or talk about me behind my back. You never loved me."

"What makes you think I never loved you? I still love you, Gabriella. You are my kids' mother. You'll always have a special place in my heart." He said, grabbing one of her hands and kissing it. "I didn't mean what I said about you. I'm sorry. I just became so irate- "

"You lied to me. You said that you were a virgin... "

He hung his head.

"I was going to spend the rest of my life with you. I was planning on marrying you and moving in with you, and having more babies with you, and growing old and dying with you... "

Troy looked at the sand. "We need to work some things out... "

"You think?" She said, looking out into the ocean.

"Come here." He said, grabbing her hand.

He lead her across the sandy beach and to to a spot where the water didn't touch. He sat in the sand, and pulled her down with him.

"Listen, I've made so many mistakes in the past, I don't have enough fingers to count them. I know I've hurt you many times. We've been so rough with our relationship. I don't want to go on hating eachother. I want us to atleast be friends, and try to get along for the sake of Griffin and Sierra. They need us. They need _both_ of us."

Gabriella drew in the sand with her finger.

"You've ripped my heart into so many pieces, I can barely give my heart to my own boyfriend."

"And I feel so horrible for doing all those things to you. I've grown up so much now. I want to be part of my kids' lives. I want to take them out for ice cream. I want to take them to school. I want to be their _dad, _for god's sake... "

Gabriella sniffled a little. Troy wrapped his arm around her tiny body and kissed the side of her head.

"I love you so much Troy, I really do... " She buried her head into his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I don't know how to let go of you... "

"Then don't let go... " He squeezed the back of her hair gently and kissed her neck softly. "Let's go home, to Massachusetts, to our kids... "

"No... " She shook her head. "I have a boyfriend."

"And he's sitting right here."

"No, he's in Tennessee."

"Break it off with him."

"I can't." Gabriella shook her head and pulled away from Troy. "I love Pryor. He treats me right. You've never treated me right."

"Then make a damn decision, Gabriella! Me, or Pryor. Choose!"

Troy stood to his feet, and so did she. He stared at her, and she stared back.

"I... I don't know... " She shook her head. "I'm staying right here, though. This is home. Massachusetts isn't."

Troy sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Troy, I don't want to hurt you... " She said, and bursted out crying.

He shook his head solemnly, and looked out into the ocean.

She wanted his love so badly. So badly that she felt like she was going to rip her hair out.

She craved that blade...

_The blade that made her worries go away..._

Gabriella messed with her fingers a little, then looks up at Troy in agony. He stared into her eyes, awaiting the hard decision her mind was trying to process. He _knew _she would fall back into his arms, even though that wasn't happening at the moment. He knew her. She could tell.

_She wanted him so, so badly..._

Her eyes began to bleed tears, tears of hopelessness and loss. Tears that burned her cheeks on the way down. Tears that dripped from her face one at a time, dripping silently.

"Troy," Gabriella said, tearily. "I love you, but I don't know if I can forgive you for how many things you've done to me... I don't want to get hurt again, and I don't want to hurt my babies... "

Troy squeezed his hair a little. "Come back with me. Just for one night."

"To where?" She said, sobbing.

"To Boston, your home."

"My home is Southern Shores, North Carolina." She answered confidently.

"Your home is Boston, Massachusetts. You were born there. You grew up there. Our kids were born there... "

She looked out into the ocean. "I never get to see palm trees or the Atlantic Ocean in Massachusetts... "

"But you see Atlantic Lake every day." He moved a little closer to her.

She played a little with the bottom of her white dress, waving it around as the wind blew it the other way.

"That dress makes you look even more beautiful than you already are." He grabbed one of her hands.

She didn't answer. She simply stared down at their hands.

"Hey, I didn't forget one thing... " He said, pulling his pants up a little. "Happy birthday. One more year until you get to drink."

She smiled a little. "Thank you."

"Has that ass told you happy birthday yet?"

She touched her phone in her pocket, and sighed.

"No, he hasn't."

"That tells you something about him." Troy said, reaching for his phone in his pocket. "My mom and dad also wanted me to tell you happy birthday, along with your mom and dad."

She nodded.

He pulled his phone out, pressed a couple buttons, and held the phone to his ear.

"Who are you calling?" Gabriella said, trying to take the phone from him.

He grinned as the other line picked up. "Hey mom... Yeah, I'm here with Gabriella... "

"TROY!" Gabriella yelled, and tried to quickly swipe the phone from his hands.

"You wanna talk to her... I'll put you on speaker."

Gabriella fought him, but with the press of a button he had the phone on speaker. He held the phone between them, the screen facing towards the sky.

"Gabriella?" She heard Kay say, quietly and cautiously. "Are you mad at me?"

Gabriella bit her bottom lip and sighed. "No Kay, I'm not mad at you."

"I'm so sorry for what happened back in January! I tried to stop everyone, but they just dragged me on the plane, and off we went to find you!"

"It's alright, Kay. I'm over all that stuff... I've got a whole boat load of problems right now that I'm dealing with. The last thing I'm worrying about is what happened with everyone back in January."

"So, how are you doing?" Kay said, a little more excitedly.

"Coping." Gabriella implied, dully.

"Coping?"

"Colt died, my boyfriend's out of town, my kids aren't here, Cait and Harvey aren't here... I'm just lonely now... "

"Your boyfriend? He's standing right in front of you, sweetheart." Kay laughed.

"No, Troy isn't my boyfriend. My boyfriend Pryor is out of town, on a business trip to Tennessee, where his parents live and where he grew up at."

The other end went silent.

"Kay, Troy's hurt me so many times- "

"I know sweetheart, I know. But you can trust me when I tell you that he won't do it again. He hasn't brought any girls over since that one night, or even touched a beer... "

"Kay, please don't make it any harder than it already is."

"I'm just saying... " She said. "Oh, and happy birthday."

"Thank you." Gabriella said, a couple tears dripping off her face. "Look Kay, it was nice talking to you, but I have to go- "

"Okay Gabriella... " Kay said, a little tearily. "I love you sweetheart. Jack, your mom, and your dad also love you very much. If you ever need anything or want to get away from North Carolina, you can always come up here with the kids and we'll help you out in any way we can."

"Thanks. I love you too."

"I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"Alright, bye Kay... " Gabriella shook her head and backed away from the phone as Troy said bye to his mom.

"She misses you like hell, Gabi."

"You're making me feel horrible... " Gabriella sobbed once and covered her eyes.

"Think about coming to Massachusetts, alright?" He softly said, placing his phone back in his pockets. "If not, I'll see you on the 19th."

She watched him walk away.

And her body felt so limp that she collapsed onto the sand.

Gabriella gripped the sand between her fingers and screamed the pain that had been waiting to come out of her body for so long. She screamed long and hard, so long and hard that it echoed over the blue waters and hit her back in the face.

She wanted to drown herself so badly...

Just to get it over with...

But, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

She suddenly felt her phone buzzing in her pocket.

Frantically, she pulled it out and checked her messages.

_"Hey babe, just got to Tennessee." _Pryor texted her.

Gabriella's hands began to tremble as she texted a couple words back.

Something that would change their relationship forever...

...

Gabriella rang the doorbell on the house. She became extremely nervous, very quickly.

She could hear the familiar sounds of dogs barking.

_Comforting dog barks..._

And, the door creaked open.

Her second mother pulled her into her arms.

"I missed you."

Gabriella pulled away and looked at the home she loved.

_Her_ safeplace...

And she was greeted by two awesome dogs, which she loved.

And...

She was greeted by the only man in the world for her.

"I love you... " He whispered to her, rubbing her back gently. He kissed her forehead gently. "Let's go upstairs and get you to sleep, okay? You've had a long flight and a tiring day."

She nodded, pulling her suitcases up the familiar stairs she knew.

She moved all the way down the top hallway, and then to the right, where she opened the door and fell on the bed.

Where she fell asleep for the night.

He came in later on, covered her, and kissed her on the temple.

"I'll do anything for you, baby... " He said, running his fingers through her hair. "Happy birthday, princess."

**(A/N: So, who do you think she picked? Pryor, or Troy? Tell me in the comments!)**


	69. Not So Lonely House

October 2nd, 2012: 1:48 AM

The moonlight fled through the bay window and on to Gabriella's gently closed eyes.

Her eyes blinked lightly, and she slowly sat up in bed.

She looked around, taking in her surroundings.

And she suddenly believed that her decision was selfish.

"I can't believe I booked that flight last minute... " She said, standing up. "I hope I did what was right... "

She opened the bedroom door and looked down the hall. The moonlight coming from the window beside the bedroom made a sliver of light down the hall from the curtains, curved up the wall at the other end of the hallway, and hit the clock perfectly, lighting it to the perfect shade so Gabriella could read it. It read 1:50 AM.

She sighed and held the door handle, resting her head on the edge of the door.

"Is anyone awake?" She whispered slightly, her voice crackling a little.

A light breeze leaked through the open window in the bedroom, chilling Gabriella's backside.

No response...

She closed the door gently and tiptoed down the hallway and down the stairs.

"Anyone awake down here?" She whispered once again.

She froze her body, waiting for a response.

Two dogs came out of nowhere, a black, longhaired, tall dog and a tall, strong, shorthaired yellow-looking dog with a dark face. Both greeted her with gentle touches to the hand, then wagging their tails at her.

"Come on guys." Gabriella said, snapping her fingers at both of them to follow her.

Gabriella stepped into the kitchen and turned the light on. "Anyone in here?" She said, looking around.

Once she established that nobody was awake, she turned the coffeepot on and sat at the kitchen table, where her body sunk into the chair.

She sighed with sadness and let a couple tears drip from her face.

The yellow-looking down rested his head on Gabriella's leg and whimpered a little. She looked down at him, and stroked his hair a little.

"It's okay, big guy... " She said, kissing the end of his snount.

He gave her big puppy dog eyes.

As she got her coffee and sat back down, she sipped at it once and leaned back in her chair, following with her ears the footsteps of somebody coming towards the kitchen.

And, that's when she saw him...

She became locked with his eyes, his deep, and dark eyes...

Even through the darkness, she could tell what color they were.

She stood from the table and held her arms out. "I love you."

He rubbed his chin with his fingers, then slowly took a couple steps toward her.

"I love you... " She repeated.

Without any more hesitation, he grabbed her in his arms and held her tightly. He lifted her off the ground in a deep, meaningful hug. He kissed her cheek, and a couple words in her ear. "I love you so god damn much, Gabi... "

She sobbed lightly and nestled her face into his shoulder as he set her on her feet. "I don't want to hurt my kids... "

"And you aren't." He whispered in her ear. "You're doing the right thing. They need their mom and dad. You're giving them that."

He stroked her hair a little. She ran her fingers through his short, soft hair and squeezed what light hair was there.

He rocked her back and forth on his feet, holding her waist like he was holding on for dear life.

She was still unsure if she had made the right decision or not.

But, at that moment, she felt comfortable in his arms.

In _Pryor's_ arms...

Gabriella rested her head against Pryor's chest and heaved heavily.

Everything would be okay.


	70. May The Golden Light Shine Down On You

October 3rd, 2012: 4:09 AM

Gabriella sighed heavily and pulled her legs to her chest. She looked over at Pryor, who was sound asleep beside her. She ran a finger through his blonde hair and let a tear run down her cheek.

Her body shivered with nothing but fright.

Her arms were covered with red slashes...

Her body gave off no heat, no light, and no sound.

Just quiet.

And, quiet was scary.

Gabriella wiped her bloody arms on the towel beside her, wincing as she went slowly over every cut. The pain seared through her veins and through to her heart, almost stopping it dead in its tracks.

But, her body still chugged on as she tried to contain the flow of blood.

Without any more life in her body, she gave up the endless war that she was fighting. She just gave up.

And never was to be fought with again.

Without a second thought, she rose slowly to her feet, like rising against a powerful force, and begged for complete mercy to herself.

Gabriella just wanted everything to end.

She wanted to be a Freshman in high school again.

She wanted to be an innocent little girl who her parents babied constantly, who they gave an early curfew to, who she said she "hated" because she was out too late...

She wanted to be that carefree, strong-willed, independant Gabriella again.

But how?

She would never be that person again.

Why?

She made a promise to get pregnant. She had Griffin. She had Sierra. She broke up with Troy. She became Pryor's girlfriend. She became dependant on Pryor for everything...

Where was her old strength and stability?

At home, with her parents, in the basement, in her bedroom, in the little box that had a note in it that read "Always and Forever, Troy".

She sobbed lightly and cupped her hand over her mouth, turning sharply towards Pryor.

Sound asleep.

With her arms aching with excruciating pain and her body quivering hard, she grabbed a pen and a piece of notebook paper. She wrote a letter.

She moved to Pryor's side of the bed, stroked his hair a little, and kissed his lips a little. One of her tears fell onto his cheek.

...

Pryor's eyes awakened to a blazing sunlight in his eyes. He scratched the back of his head lightly and sat up, feeling for Gabriella. He picked up a little sheet of paper lying where she was supposed to be.

He stood up and read it.

_Pryor,_

_ I love you so much that this is killing me. I really do. You have treated me with the respect I need as a woman, and the love that was missing from my heart was replaced by you. I can never be more grateful. If I could choose what my life would turn out to be, it would be with you. There's only one person in this world who is my soul mate. At first, I thought it was Troy, but when I met you, I realized that you were the one. I think I made a horrible decision thinking that. The only person in this world for me is Troy Bolton. He's the father of both of my kids. He is the man who loved me from the beginning. Although he's made many mistakes, Troy has my heart. He'll never give it back. I was a wreck from the beginning and now I'm trying to pick up the pieces. I should have never put you through that. You deserve much more than this piece of shit. I love you so damn much Pryor, and I hope you find who's right for you out in this world._

_ Sincerely,_

_ Gabriella_

...

Gabriella dropped her suitcase at Troy's parents' front door and panted heavily. Her body became limp, and she held the railing of the stairs.

She rang the doorbell.

She noticed finally that all the cars were gone.

But, someone did answer the door.

"Mommy?" Griffin cocked his head to the side. "Why are you here?"

"Baby, go get daddy- "

"Why?"

"Griffin, get your dad, now... "

Griffin looked behind him. "But why- "

"Griffin Harley Bolton, get your god damn father right now!" She became agitated.

He growled a little. "DADDY!"

"WHAT GRIFF? I'M TRYING TO GET YOUR SISTER DRESSED!"

"MOMMY'S HERE!" He slammed the door in Gabriella's face. She grunted and rolled her eyes. "Griffin!"

He opened the door again. "What?"

She sighed. "Is daddy coming?"

"Yeah." Griffin turned around a little.

"GRIFFIN, DAMN IT, DON'T PLAY TRICKS WITH ME!" Troy said, hurrying down the stairs.

"I'm not!" Griffin pleaded innocently. "She's really here!" He said as Troy stepped onto the hard floor.

Troy stopped in front of the doorway.

"Holy shit... " Troy said, his eyes wide. "What are you doing here?"

"I dropped Pryor for you." Gabriella heaved and stood up a little straighter. "Get my suitcase." She dragged herself into Troy's house.

He obeyed her. "Are you alright?"

"Not really... " She said, wobbling on her feet.

He dropped her suitcase and grabbed her under her arms before she collapsed onto the floor. "Your arms... "

"I cut myself."

"Eighteen times?"

"With a razor, Troy." She winced.

"From a shaver?"

"Yeah." She blurted, not believing that she just leaked one of her major secrets.

"Jesus christ Gabriella... " He dragged her onto his couch. "I didn't know that you were so horribly depressed."

"Well, now you know... " She took her jacket off and was about to mop up the blood on her arms, but Troy quickly handed her a towel. "Here." He said softly.

With a quick swipe, her arms were clear of all blood stains, until more blood leaked from the wounds. She just covered her arms with the towel and sighed.

"I thought you went back to Pryor. You texted that to me."

"Yeah, I went to his house and spent the night with him. But I realized that I loved you and just wrote him a note. I booked a flight." Her voice was dull. "End of story. I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh." He pulled a chair up to her. "Griffin, take your sister and stay in your room for a while. Play that new game I got you with her until I tell you that you can come down."

"But I want to say hi to mommy... "

"Just give me a while with mommy. You can say hi to her when I'm done talking to her."

Griffin sighed and obeyed Troy, trudging upstairs.

"Are you just depressed or something?" He took one of her hands.

"Obviously." She rolled her eyes.

"What are you depressed about?" Troy ran his thumb over her hand.

"About choosing between you and Pryor, about getting pregnant, about having to be so reliant on people... " She closed her eyes. "Just about everything that's went on in my life in the past five years... A lot of things have happened... "

"I know. I've been right here riding this nightmare too." He kissed her hand lightly. "But this jackass is right here and is always going to be here for you."

She smiled a little out of the corner of her mouth. "You've hurt me so many times, and you still manage to make me smile, you bastard."

"I know your weak spots, whore."

"Dickhead."

"Slut."

"Asscrack."

"Bitch."

Gabriella laughed. "I hope Griffin and Sierra won't talk like us when they're our age."

He chuckled and stroked her hair. "Sierra dropped her sippy the other day and said "Day-umn"! Oh god, it was hilarious. My dad and I were rolling on the floor, but my mom almost slapped her face off."

Gabriella squeezed Troy's hand. "She's just like her daddy."

"More like her mom."

"99.9% Troy Bolton, .1% Gabriella Montez."

He shook his head and chuckled a little.

Silence bestowed upon them.

"You want me to get them?" He said, standing.

"No, not yet." She sat up. "My arms- "

"Let me get some bandages." He exited the living room and went upstairs.

She sighed and ran her fingers through her head, feeling the blood trickle down her arm. Her phone began to buzz. As soon as she opened it to a picture of her and Pryor, standing knee-high in the Atlantic Ocean outside their yard. Her eyes immediatly began to water.

She answered Pryor's call, turning it on speaker.

"Pryor?" She asked innocently.

"I thought you loved me... " He sighed.

"I do love you Pryor, so, so much... "

"Then why did you go back to Troy?"

"I can't tear my kids between me and Troy... "

"Then I'll move up to Massachusetts so they can be with you and Troy all the time."

She sighed. "It doesn't work that way, Pry."

"Then what does work?"

"My kids being with Troy and I all the time! They need their dad! I don't want them growing up without their biological father!"

"They won't!"

"You just don't understand, because you don't have two young kids."

"And you don't think I love those kids? Damn it Gabriella, they _are _my kids! I love them like you and I created them together!"

She held her hand up to her mouth and cried hard, remembering how much Sierra loved Pryor. How much Sierra thought of Pryor as her real dad... It killed her to take those kids away from Pryor. She hated it.

"I'm so sorry... "

"I'm not up for any sorries. I wanna know why you went back to that cheating, lying asshole!"

"BECAUSE I LOVE HIM!" Gabriella screeched into the phone. "I GREW UP WITH TROY! I WORSHIPPED TROY! I GAVE MY VIRGINITY TO TROY! I HAD KIDS WITH TROY! THAT'S WHY I GOT BACK WITH HIM!"

Pryor laughed over the phone.

"What's so damn funny about that?" She sobbed uncontrollably.

"It's like you can't let go of the past... "

"I know I can't." She played with her sweatshirt a little.

"You're too attached to him."

"Because I love him."

"And you don't love me?"

Silence.

"Pryor- "

"Save it, Gabriella." He sighed. "Just save it."

The clicking shut of his phone sounded like him shutting his front door on her.

She was done with Pryor...

She set her face in her hands and shook her head.

"Jesus christ... " She sobbed.

"He really treats you like that?"

"No, Troy." She turned. "Quit snooping on me!"

"I wasn't trying to!"

"Whatever... " She rolled her eyes.

"Here." He said, taking one of her hands gently and placing it on his knee. He set gauze on her arm, then wrapped it with a bandage gently. After doing the same with the other, he kissed both over the bandages.

"Better?"

"No." She ran her fingers through her hair. "I just want this pain to go away."

"I've got neosporin- "

"No, Troy. The pain from all this hell, with you and Pryor... "

"Oh." He entwined his fingers with her. "Are you mad at me?"

"Not now. I've had a lot of time to get rid of the built up anger that was festering." She leaned against the pillow and ran her fingers over her flat stomach. She looked at their hands.

A little grin came from the side of his mouth. "I can't believe that you've had two kids already. You don't look like you were ever pregnant."

"Well, I was." She frowned. "Look at my boobs. Flat. There is NOTHING there."

"I remember when you were a perky freshman, before we started having sex and all. I remember when you and your friends would go to the football games and cheer for us. I remember how I used to give you my gold necklace and say 'May the gold light shine down on you' and run off to the field."

Her mouth formed a smirk. She reached into the neck of her shirt and pulled out a golden chain, with a golden cross hanging from it.

With her gentlest touch, she opened his hand and placed the chain in his palm. She closed it and kissed his hand.

"May the gold light shine down on you."


	71. Epilogue

Epilogue

May 27th, 2023: 2:09 PM

She could smell his scent as he passed her bedroom.

She rose to the scent.

She felt the scent.

As she drifted into the hallway, someone jumped from behind the corner and scared her.

She screamed.

"GRIFFIN!" Gabriella placed her hand over her heart and stepped back. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry, mom." He said.

She wrapped her arms around his body and pulled him close. "I love you, Griffie."

"Mom, don't call me 'Griffie'. You know I hate that."

"I'm sorry... " She sighed. "I just miss when you were little."

"I can tell." He grinned.

Griffin was now 15 years old. He was robust, sharp, and sweet all in one. Still blonde-headed and straight haired, he looked more like Troy now than Gabriella, with the straight, roman nose and the blue eyes. He was lean, muscular, and fit. What sport did he play? Of course, football. He was captain of his team. Who did he spend most of his time with? Troy.

"Oh, I love you, I love you, I love you... " She placed her hand on the back of his head and kissed his hair.

"Alright mom." Griffin pulled away and chuckled. "That's enough."

She sighed. "You and I were so close when you were little. You looked so much like me. Before I had Sierra, you and I were together all the time."

As Griffin walked to his bedroom, Sierra whizzed past Gabriella.

Gabriella grabbed the back of her shirt. "Woah there."

Sierra struggled from Gabriella's grip. "MOM! LET ME GO!"

Sierra was almost thirteen. She was the average teenager, with a twist. She loved her parents. Her head was naturally blonde, and her blue eyes were as blue as Troy and Griffin's. She looked a lot like Troy, once again, but with a cuter twist like Gabriella.

Gabriella grabbed her arms and whipped her around. "Sweetheart, you can't go to the barbeque dressed like a little homeless little girl."

"Why not?" Sierra crossed her arms. "There's not going to be anyone but family there."

"Yeah, and you'll look like a little bum who's mother and father don't care about her." Gabriella turned her around and shoved her towards her bedroom. "I told you to go put on a cami and some shorts."

"But I'm fat... " Sierra whined.

"Sierra! How can you call yourself fat?" Gabriella snagged the front of Gabriella's shirt and laughed. "Baby, you're skinnier than I am!"

She sighed. "No I'm not!"

"Sierra Grace Bolton, go change." Gabriella shoved her into her room and shut the door before she could rebel.

As she went down the stairs, Gabriella was whipped around by her lover.

Troy.

"Hey baby." He said, leaning down to kiss her lips. Before he got to her lips, he whispered a could words. "I missed you."

"I slept with you all night. How can you miss me?"

"Because I love you so much." He grabbed her waist and grinned. "You're so sexy."

"Even though I'm thirty?"

"Even though you're thirty. Damn Gabriella, I'm thirty-two." He laughed. "I'm old."

"You still look like you're seventeen." She rubbed his sides.

"Same to you." He stroked her side with his thumb.

"According to Griffin and Sierra, I'm an old hag."

Troy grabbed Griffin's arm as he passed. "Hey, Griff."

"Hey dad." He glanced down at Troy's hand. "Uh, why did you grab my arm?"

"How old does your mom look?"

Griffin looked at Gabriella up and down. "About sixteen."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Griffin, don't lie."

"I'm not!"

Troy raised an eyebrow at Gabriella. "Griffin, would you date your mom if she was your age?"

Griffin didn't waste a second answering that question. "Hell yeah! Mom's sexy!"

Troy smiled. "You think I'm lying?"

She glared at Griffin. "Don't say that word, Griffin. I don't want you to end up like your dad and I."

He chuckled. "I wasn't planning on becoming like you and mom."

Faint cries came from the next room.

"Awh, our babies are crying... "

"You better go check on them." Troy kissed her forehead and went outside to get into the car.

Gabriella went into the next room with a huge smile on her face. "Hi Vivi. Hi Coltie."

She smiled at the two puppies, wagging their tails in cuteness.

Vivtar was a Landseer Newfoundland, eight weeks old, and Colt, of course, a Bernese Mountain dog, a year old. Colt was the original Colt's half brother, who came from the same breeder Same father, different mothers.

"Gotta go outside, guys?" She said, opening both the cages. Both dogs jumped out and bolted to the glass sliding doors.

Gabriella slid the doors open, to a full car of her two kids and Troy.

She opened the back hatch, picking Vivitar up to let her in and letting Colt in. She then got in the passenger seat of the car.

"You ready?" Troy said.

She looked behind, watching her two kids bicker about Griffin taking up too much room.

"Yeah, I guess."

As they arrived at the beach, she let both of the dogs out, carrying Vivitar, and walked along the beach, holding Troy's hand.

Everyone was there. Harvey and Caitlin with Ursala, their daughter who was nine. Troy's parents with their lab, Cartier, who was originally Troy's dog. Rai had died of cancer three years ago. And last but not least, Gabriella's parents with their new Papillon, Carly.

She smiled and squeezed Troy's hand, watching as the golden sunlight shone down on his. He looked down at her, then grabbed her waist and pulled her close to him. He slowly leaned towards her, leaning into a passionate kiss with her.

_That_ was the good life.


End file.
